Alito on Trump’s praise of him, criticism of fellow justices: ‘I put all of that out of my mind’

Justice Samuel Alito said in a televised interview Sunday that he tries not to dwell on President Donald Trump’s frequent public praise of him or the president’s recent attacks on other members of the Supreme Court. Speaking on Fox News Sunday, Alito said he places such commentary out of his mind and assumes his colleagues do likewise. Alito warned, however, that the growing intensity of public rhetoric aimed at the court and individual justices is worrying. He said he is concerned about the long-term consequences for the court’s standing and warned that if public trust erodes it would be damaging to the institution. The interview comes after Trump told Time magazine he regrets having nominated Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, saying they “voted against me too often.” Trump has also criticized the court on social media following a decision blocking his mail voting plan, while separately praising Alito and Justice Clarence Thomas for their dissent in that case. Alito’s remarks follow recent testimony from fellow justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan, who told lawmakers in July that the court needs additional funding to address a rise in threats against justices and their families. Earlier this week Alito told CBS News he had contemplated retirement at the end of the most recent term and said his vote to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022 required "courage," adding he expected strong backlash though not all of its specific forms.