Jackson Issues ‘Consequences' Warning as SCOTUS Faces Approval Crisis

Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson issued a warning about the "consequences" of recent rulings as the High Court faces an approval rating crisis in recent polls.

The Supreme Court remains near historic lows in public confidence following years of ethics scandals and concerns that justices have become more partisan, according to the polls. Public trust is a key pillar of the High Court's authority, and the polling suggests that this anchor is still eroding. The court's latest high-profile decisions have reshaped politics, immigration and law across the United States.

The court’s authority ultimately depends on public acceptance of its rulings and legitimacy, and confidence levels can shape how elected officials and the public respond to consequential decisions on issues like abortion, voting, presidential power and immigration.

Newsweek reached out to the Supreme Court’s public information office for comment via email.

Ketanji Brown Jackson Issues New Warning About Supreme Court

Speaking at the American Law Institute’s 2026 annual meeting on Monday, Jackson discussed the latest court actions, outlining that they have real-world implications for Americans.

The Supreme Court overturning lower court rulings is often not doing the country "a service with that kind of procedure," she said.

"To the extent that ruling has a real world impact, which we’ve seen recently a lot, that when the Supreme Court makes these kinds of decisions, they’re sometimes in cases that involve the dismantling of the Department of Education or the firing of workers or the termination of federal grants," she said. "These are real world consequences that are occurring, and no one really has a clear sense of why it’s happening or what the court’s reasoning is."

It is important for the public to view the justices as "neutral" and "nonpartisan," as public confidence is the court's "currency," she said.

"It's incumbent upon us to do things to act in ways that shore up public confidence in the way in which the court does this," she said.

The Supreme Court has a 6-3 conservative majority, including the three justices appointed by President Donald Trump. It has ruled in favor of the Trump administration on a number of key issues like immigration enforcement and cuts at federal government agencies, but has also drawn the president’s ire, such as when it struck down his tariffs earlier this year.

Supreme Court's Approval Has Eroded, According to Polls

Public trust in the Supreme Court has fallen over recent years, according to recent polling.

The polling decline follows ethics scandals and backlash, primarily from the left, over rulings including Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade-the landmark case that guaranteed abortion rights across the country. The decision was a major win for conservatives but stirred outrage among those advocating for women’s healthcare.

The Pew Research Center in September 2025 reported that favorable views of the Supreme Court were near a "historic low." The court saw positive favorability ratings for decades, but Americans have recently become more polarized on the court. Fifty percent viewed it favorably, compared to 48 percent who viewed it unfavorably.

Divisions reflected partisanship, with 71 percent of Republicans viewing the court positively, compared to only 26 percent of Democrats, Pew found. The data stemmed from a survey taken from August 4 to August 10, 2025.

A new poll released Tuesday also showed a plurality of Americans disapproving of the court.

The Echelon Insights poll showed that 41 percent of Americans view the court favorably, compared to 44 percent who view it unfavorably. It surveyed 1,008 voters from May 14 to May 18 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

A recent YouGov poll found that 38 percent of Americans approved of the High Court, compared to 45 percent who disapproved of it. An additional 16 percent were unsure.

That poll also revealed Sonia Sotomayor as the justice with the highest favorability rating, at 38 percent. At 26 percent, Justice Neil Gorsuch had the lowest favorability mark.

A poll by NBC News released in March found that 22 percent of registered voters nationally said they have a “great deal” or “quite a bit” of confidence in the Supreme Court, 40 percent said they had “some” confidence and 38 percent said they had “very little” or “no” confidence. The poll surveyed 1,000 registered voters from February 27 to March 3 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

Even as the Supreme Court has remained divided on major issues, Jackson said during an address at Southern Methodist University earlier this month, that the justices are "good at compartmentalizing."

"In the world of law and the world of writing your opinions, you're going to disagree, and you have the opportunity to express your views in the context of your opinions, but in our day-to-day interactions, none of us takes it personally, and we get along just fine," she said.

Thomas, Alito Have Faced Ethics Concerns in Recent Years

In 2023, ProPublica reported that Justice Clarence Thomas and other justices accepted vacations and luxury gifts from GOP megadonors for decades, without disclosure to the court. Thomas had allegedly accepted gifts ranging from private jet flights and private school payments from donor Harlan Crow. He also drew scrutiny after his wife reportedly sent texts to former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows urging him to overturn results of the 2020 election.

Justice Samuel Alito faced criticism after his wife was accused of flying an upside down American flag-a symbol used by some Trump supporters to show support for the president’s unproven claims that the 2020 election was stolen-outside their home.

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This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 4:39 PM.