Less than two weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed a controversial and highly restrictive Texas anti-abortion stand with a partisan 5-4 vote, Justice Amy Coney Barrett told a group in Kentucky on Sunday that the high court isn’t just a “bunch of partisan hacks.”

According to the Louisville Courier Journal, Barrett was speaking at the 30th anniversary of the opening of the McConnell Center at the University of Louisville, telling about 100 guests:

“My goal today is to convince you that this court is not comprised of a bunch of partisan hacks. Judicial philosophies are not the same as political parties.”

Rather than accepting her share of the blame when it comes to the public believing that the court is indeed political, Barrett suggested the fault lies with the media:

“The media, along with hot takes on Twitter, report the results and decisions. … That makes the decision seem results-oriented. It leaves the reader to judge whether the court was right or wrong, based on whether she liked the results of the decision.

“And here’s the thing: Sometimes, I don’t like the results of my decisions. But it’s not my job to decide cases based on the outcome I want.”

But as David Badash of The New Civil Rights Movement notes, Barrett is partially to blame for the American people believing the high court has indeed become little more than an extension of the political process:

“Barrett of course brought this perception on herself, allowing her nomination to be pushed through in the weeks before a highly controversial presidential election, appearing at a super-spreader event at the White House celebrating her nomination, then later standing on the White House balcony with President Trump, days before the election, all of which effectively worked as an endorsement of his re-election.”

 

Despite her attempt to paint herself as a non-partisan judge who is merely doing her job, many weren’t buying her claim of neutrality:

Featured Image Via NBC News