U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., meets with Judge Amy Coney Barrett. Barrett was confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Former federal prosecutor Joyce Vance, who now works at the Brookings Institution, couldn't help but notice some comments made by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett at an event on Thursday night.
The event was part of the 2026 Supreme Court Fellows Program, where the justices chat about their work and answer questions. Vance noted that these events rarely make news because they're not very interesting to those outside of the legal profession. But one comment Coney Barrett made piqued her interest.
“Freedom of speech and freedom of religion commit us to pluralism,” she said. “They commit us to tolerance. They commit us to having to respect and allow to be heard even those viewpoints that we might disagree with.”
Coney Barrett, a conservative appointee by President Donald Trump in his first term, is a devout Catholic.
"So, what does she make of a president who is not committed to freedom of speech or freedom of religion?" asked Vance. "Are we to draw the obvious conclusion? Or is she just speaking generically here?"
Coney Barrett discussed Article IV of the Constitution and how it was easier to amend the Constitution because the political climate was less polarized. The most recent amendment was about 30 years ago, with a small amendment regulating salary increases for federal officials and when they take effect.
Judge Robert Dow, who was leading the discussion, noted a documentary he watched about a case that delivered a message on the respect for the law. Coney Barrett wrote in her book that "respect for the law" isn't something that can be "legislated." It gave Coney Barrett an opportunity to throw a backhanded comment about Congress.
"You can't make people respect the law," she said. "And I think a lot in our society runs on norms. I mean, you can't catch everybody who speeds on the highway, just to, like, give an example. If everybody felt at liberty to drive 80, the police can't enforce all of that. I think a lot in our society when we think about constitutional provisions that are more important than speed limits like, you know, the freedom of religion, freedom of speech. All of those things are important, but look, the courts can't be the only guardians of those rights. A lot depends on elected officials who also take an oath to uphold the Constitution, and elected officials respond to what their constituents want. They respond to what the people want. And if people revere the Constitution and if people revere the law that lends itself, that fuels a culture in which law is respected."
Among the wars Trump began in his second term was one on the legal profession and judges themselves. Former staff recalled to reporters that, during his first term, he was frequently hamstrung by aides who told him something was illegal or would be struck down in court. He has now signed executive orders targeting specific lawyers and law firms, and uses his bully pulpit to target judges who rule against him. They are then faced with threats from Trump's supporters.