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Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson showed up at the Grammys as a nominee for narrating her audiobook, and conservatives are right to be furious that a sitting Supreme Court justice would place herself in the middle of a politicized, anti-law-enforcement spectacle. A Supreme Court justice does not get a pass from accountability just because she can snag a Hollywood invite; the optics of her attendance mattered, and Americans noticed.
The ceremony was soaked in anti-ICE messaging — winners and presenters wore “ICE OUT” pins and used the stage to attack immigration enforcement with slogans and profanity aimed at law enforcement. Big-name performers took to the mic to turn an awards show into a political rally, cheering and receiving thunderous applause for partisan attacks that belong in caucus halls, not national institutions of civic respect.
Senator Marsha Blackburn did the right thing by formally asking Chief Justice Roberts to investigate whether Justice Jackson’s presence at the event violated the norms that protect the Court’s impartiality. If a justice is going to mingle in left-wing cultural theater while cases involving immigration and national security wind their way to the high court, the American people deserve a clear accounting and, if necessary, recusal.
Conservative commentators and elected officials circulated images and reports suggesting Jackson applauded the anti-ICE rhetoric, and that reaction — if true — would be more than a lapse in judgment. That said, some outlets have pointed out that no definitive video has surfaced showing her clapping for the specific anti-ICE speeches, which only underscores the point: the Court must act on evidence, but also act quickly to restore public confidence.
There is a glaring double standard at work when the left defends celebrity virtue signaling while expecting judges appointed by conservatives to sit quietly under the harshest scrutiny. The Court adopted an ethics code for a reason; when justices appear at events that are overtly political, their colleagues and the public are entitled to clarity about whether those appearances compromise their neutrality.
Chief Justice Roberts should not let this slide into the swampy theater of partisan spin. An investigation that is fair, transparent, and fast will either clear Justice Jackson or show why stricter adherence to the code of conduct matters — because perception of impartiality is the Court’s last defense against raw political power.
Patriots who love the rule of law should be united in demanding accountability, not tribal applause for celebrity stunts that demean institutions. If we want a judiciary that commands respect from every American, its guardians must behave like officials first and celebrities second — and if they won’t, we must insist they do.
