In a recent interview, Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito emphasized the rising concern of political violence and its potential impact on the judiciary.
He remarked, “The physical threats and the harassment represent something new in our society and something that is quite disturbing… And I think it’s a danger to the courts, and I think it’s a danger to others in public life.” This statement came during an interview with CBS News released on Monday. Alito, who is 76 and a conservative appointee, reflects on the troubling trend following various incidents where activists on the left have expressed support for violence towards public figures who contradict their beliefs.
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito stated that the majority justices of the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case, which overturned Roe v. Wade, needed “courage” to advance the decision. He acknowledged to CBS News that he lost friends as a result of the ruling and described the physical threats and harassment he faced as “quite disturbing” and “a danger for the courts.”
— CBS News (@CBSNews) October 2, 2026
Alito, who was appointed by former President George W. Bush, authored the majority opinion in the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, which nullified the pivotal Roe v. Wade ruling, transferring authority on abortion rights back to the states.
However, in May 2022, POLITICO disclosed that it had obtained a draft of this opinion before its official release. Since that unexpected leak, there have been numerous threats directed at the Supreme Court, particularly aimed at its conservative justices.
A notable case is that of Nicholas Roske, a 29-year-old from California, who was sentenced to eight years in prison in October 2025 after pleading guilty to attempting to assassinate Justice Brett Kavanaugh, another nominee from President Trump. The Department of Justice released information indicating Roske was apprehended outside Kavanaugh’s residence in June 2022 while armed with a tactical knife, firearm, and multiple rounds of ammunition. He later expressed his anger over the leaked Dobbs draft as motivation for his actions.
Following an exhaustive investigation that involved 126 formal interviews, the Supreme Court reported in January 2023 that the leaker had not yet been identified.
Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett, nominated by Presidents Obama and Trump respectively, approached the House Appropriations Committee on July 14, 2026, seeking a 10% increase in funding for Supreme Court security for fiscal year 2027.
Kagan noted that threats against the Court escalated by 35% in 2026, with a 25% increase the previous year. Barrett shared her surprise, saying she never expected to find herself in situations where she’d need to explain what a bulletproof vest is to her children.
Interestingly, a YouGov poll taken after the assassination attempt on conservative activist Charlie Kirk in September 2025 found that 25% of respondents who identified as “very liberal” disagreed with the statement that “political violence is never justified,” a stark contrast to just 3% of those identifying as “very conservative.”
The full interview with Alito will air on Monday, coinciding with the Supreme Court’s commencement of its 2026-2027 term. Additionally, his upcoming book, “So Ordered,” which outlines his judicial philosophy, is set to be released on Tuesday.
