U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett delivered a blistering critique of the U.S. Supreme Court this week, accusing the nation’s highest court of undermining voting rights, lacking ethical standards, and enabling what she described as a dangerous concentration of political power.
Speaking on the House floor, the Texas Democrat argued that recent court decisions affecting voting rights and electoral representation demonstrate a broader effort to preserve political influence at the expense of democratic participation.
“This court is racist, this court is immoral, and this court lacks any semblance of ethics,” Crockett declared during her remarks.
The congresswoman’s comments come amid ongoing national debates over voting rights, redistricting disputes, judicial ethics, and proposals to reform the Supreme Court.
Crockett Links Court Decisions to Voting Rights Concerns
Throughout her speech, Crockett pointed to recent legal battles involving congressional districts and election laws in several states, including Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
She argued that decisions affecting majority-Black voting districts and election outcomes are part of a broader effort to diminish political power in communities of color.
Referring to disputes over congressional maps and election-related rulings, Crockett said the court has repeatedly ignored the will of voters.
“This isn’t what democracy is supposed to be,” she said.
The congresswoman also criticized what she characterized as inconsistent judicial reasoning, citing legal disputes involving Texas redistricting efforts and voting rights litigation.
Calls for Court Expansion and Ethics Reforms
Crockett used her remarks to renew support for expanding the Supreme Court, a proposal that has divided legal scholars and lawmakers for years.
She argued that the current structure of the court no longer reflects the nation’s judicial system and said reforms should include both additional justices and term limits.
“The court absolutely needs to be expanded,” Crockett said, noting that the federal judiciary currently includes 13 circuit courts.
She also called for stronger ethics standards for Supreme Court justices, an issue that has attracted increased scrutiny in recent years following reports involving gifts, travel, and financial disclosures connected to members of the court.
Criticism of Presidential Immunity Ruling
Among Crockett’s sharpest criticisms was her condemnation of the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on presidential immunity.
Without naming specific cases, she argued that the court had departed from historical norms by granting protections that she believes place presidents above accountability.
“The reason that we need to do something about this court is because this court has decided that it will bend to the will of a wannabe king,” Crockett said.
She further argued that democratic institutions depend on equal application of the law and warned against what she described as efforts to concentrate power in the executive branch.
A Broader Fight Over Democracy
Crockett framed the debate as larger than individual court cases or political parties, describing it as a struggle over the future of American democracy.
“The reason that y’all want to do this right now isn’t because you’re afraid that we are after a power grab,” she said. “It’s because you want to lock in this racist agenda for decades to come.”
The Texas lawmaker concluded by encouraging political engagement and resistance to policies she believes threaten voting rights and democratic representation.
“We need to meet fire with fire and fight tooth and nail so that we can do right by the people,” she said.
Her remarks add to growing criticism of the apext court by Blacks and civil rights advocates amid the ongoing national discussions over voting rights protections, redistricting, and the role of the judiciary in shaping American democracy.
