Is Elena Kagan Dressing Down Gorsuch Behind The Supreme Court’s Closed Doors?

Elena Kagan Image by Getty Images

By Aiden Pink October 19, 2017

The newest Supreme Court justice, Neil Gorsuch, has repeatedly stepped on the other justices’ toes since he joined the bench earlier this year—so much so that Justice Elena Kagan is reportedly breaking the chamber’s tradition of decorum to admonish him behind closed doors.

Veteran NPR court reporter Nina Totenberg made the claim in an appearance on the Supreme Court-related podcast “First Mondays,” talking about discussions in “conference,” when the justices discuss how they are going to vote—with no one else in the room.

“My surmise, from what I’m hearing, is that Justice Kagan really has taken [Gorsuch] on in conference,” she said. “And that it’s a pretty tough battle and it’s going to get tougher. And she is about as tough as they come, and I am not sure he’s as tough—or dare I say it, maybe not as smart.”

CNN reported earlier this month that Gorsuch has reportedly irritated his new colleagues by interrupting them during oral arguments and writing dissents that are unusually critical of his colleagues.

In the past, Supreme Court Justices have been able to be good friends despite philosophical differences. Most notably, Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote that she and the late Antonin Scalia were “best buddies,” attending opera performances and going on vacations together.

Contact Aiden Pink at [email protected]

Aiden Pink is the Deputy News Editor for the Forward. Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter, @aidenpink.

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