Justice Alito expresses disagreement with Trump's remarks about the Supreme Court

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito stated he was not pleased with remarks made by President Donald Trump and his administration regarding the court, marking a rare expression of disagreement with the executive branch. "I personally am not pleased with that," Alito said about the president’s rhetoric in an interview with The Associated Press published on October 6, 2026. "Everybody in this country has the right to criticize what we do. The substance of their criticism can be quite harsh. If we deserve it, then that’s fine. But rhetoric is a different story." Alito’s interview is part of a series he has conducted to promote his first book, "So Ordered: An Originalist’s View of The Constitution, The Court, and Our Country." This is the first time he has publicly responded to the president’s criticisms of the court. Several of Alito’s colleagues have discussed the threats and harassment they have faced amid a polarized political climate. Trump has been particularly critical of the justices, singling out the three he nominated — Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett — for not being sufficiently loyal to him. In a recent interview with Time, Trump stated, "I gave them the position of a lifetime, and they vote against me often," and suggested that the court would be remembered for making damaging decisions. In contrast, Trump has praised Alito and Justice Clarence Thomas, who typically vote in favor of the president's policies. Alito rejected accusations that his decisions align with Trump’s agenda, stating, "It’s offensive. I honestly try to decide every single case on the merits, every single application on the merit. And that’s true whether the president is Donald Trump or Joe Biden or Barack Obama or anybody else." At 76, Alito is the second-oldest justice on the Supreme Court, following Thomas, who is 78. Both justices have not indicated plans to retire soon. Alito recently confirmed he will remain on the court through the upcoming term, which ends in June.