Justice Elena Kagan urges judges not to be intimidated by increase in threats

Source: NBC News

July 24, 2025, 3:32 PM EDT


Liberal Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan on Thursday expressed alarm at the increase in threats against the judiciary but said judges should not be intimidated, urging them to focus on their jobs as arbiters of the rule of law.

Speaking to an audience of judges and lawyers at a conference in Monterey, California, Kagan acknowledged that judges are frequent targets of harsh criticism, but said they should not be "aggravated or maddened" by it. "The response to perceived lawlessness of any kind is law," she added.

President Donald Trump and his allies have been particularly vocal in criticizing judges who have blocked his policies on a wide range of issues since he took office in January. Trump's demand that a federal judge be impeached for ruling against the administration prompted a rare rebuke from Chief Justice John Roberts.

The judiciary has reported a spike in threats against judges and expressed concerns about whether they are sufficiently protected.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/justice-elena-kagan-urges-judges-not-intimidated-increase-threats-rcna220884