Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson says ‘state of our democracy’ keeps her up at night

Jackson did not say what, specifically, concerned her about the state of democracy, though she has recently written a series of scathing dissents.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the Supreme Court’s most junior member and a member of its liberal wing, told an audience in Indianapolis on Thursday that she was concerned about the state of American democracy. After speaking about the book she published last year, Jackson was asked during a “lightning round” of questioning what keeps her up at night. “I would say the state of our democracy,” Jackson said in response. “I am really very interested in getting people to focus and to invest and to pay attention to what is happening in our country and in our government.” Jackson did not say what, specifically, concerned her about the state of democracy, though she has recently written a series of scathing dissents critical of both President Donald Trump’s administration and the Supreme Court’s review of cases involving its policies. “For some reason, this court sees fit to step in now and release the president’s wrecking ball at the outset of this litigation,” Jackson wrote in a dissent this week in a decision allowing the White House to move forward with plans to dramatically reduce the size of the federal government. “In my view, this decision is not only truly unfortunate but also hubristic and senseless.” Jackson did not mention Trump by name during her remarks at the Indianapolis Bar Association. She weighed in on the administration’s criticism of the judiciary earlier this year as well during an event in Puerto Rico in which she also did not mention Trump specifically.