Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito told CBS News that physical threats and harassment against justices have become "quite disturbing." He called the 2022 Dobbs decision, which he authored and which overturned Roe v. Wade, an example that required "courage" from the majority. Alito said the ruling cost him old friendships and warned that rising threats pose a danger to the courts and to public life. The full interview with Jan Crawford is set to air on CBS News.
Alito Says Rising Physical Threats to Justices Are 'Disturbing' — Says Dobbs Cost Him Friendships
CBS News
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito told CBS News that physical threats and harassment directed at justices following controversial rulings have become "quite disturbing." In an interview with chief legal correspondent Jan Crawford, Alito said the court's majority showed "courage" in the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision, which he authored and which overturned Roe v. Wade.
Asked whether any case required particular bravery, Alito singled out Dobbs. "Well, the leading example is Dobbs," he said. "I think that required courage by all of the justices in the majority. Of course, it actually involved — we didn't know it at the time, we didn't know it when we produced the draft that was leaked — but it required courage to go ahead with that because of the implications."
"The physical threats and the harassment represent something new in our society, and something that's quite disturbing. And I think it's a danger. It's a danger for the courts, and it's a danger for others in public life." — Justice Samuel Alito
Alito recalled the intense national reaction after the ruling, noting that then-President Joe Biden addressed the nation and urged protesters to remain peaceful. He also said that some rulings, including Dobbs, have cost him personal friendships. "There are cases that have resulted in the loss of old friendships, and it's something that you have to live with," he told Crawford.
The interview also touched on the broader responsibilities and risks of the job. When Crawford asked whether losing friends, facing protests, receiving death threats or having to wear a bulletproof vest are now part of life as a justice, Alito replied that displeasing people with controversial decisions is inherent to the role — but that the recent escalation in physical threats and harassment is a troubling development.
The full interview is scheduled to air on CBS News on Monday, and a clip of the exchange is being shared by CBS News on X.
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