MAGA and Republican figures have called on Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett to step down after she revealed how her position has resulted in threats against her and her family.
Barrett, one of three conservative justices nominated to the bench by Donald Trump, made a rare appearance on Capitol Hill on Tuesday alongside Justice Elena Kagan to request millions in additional funding to enhance security.
During her testimony, Barrett described how her home was targeted with a hoax swatting call and said that she and other justices had been sent packages “designed to intimidate and harass us.”
Barrett also revealed that she was given a bulletproof vest after the leak of a draft opinion revealing the Supreme Court had voted to overturn abortion rights in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization in June 2022, which her 12-year-old son saw her bring home. “I didn’t expect that performing this service was going to put me in the position of explaining to my children what a bulletproof vest was and why I had to wear one,” she added.
Justice Barrett, who has seven children, was once hailed by influential MAGA figures as a “bullet proof choice” for the court when Trump nominated her in 2020.
But the president’s supporters are now turning on her after she has repeatedly sided with liberal justices in key cases concerning Trump’s agenda, including in the decision to strike down his bid to end birthright citizenship.
Conservative commentator Matt Walsh, who once championed Barrett’s appointment, accused her of being a “DEI” (diversity, equity and inclusion) hire who was “little better” than Ketanji Brown Jackson—the court’s first Black woman appointed to the bench—in the wake of the ruling last month.
MAGA fans are now demanding that Barrett quit, claiming her future decisions will be influenced by a desire to keep herself safe or that she is simply not fit for such a high-profile position.
“Millions of police officers and military members explain body armor to their kids every day. If you can’t explain to a 12 yr old boy, you have no business making national decisions,” former FBI agent-turned-MAGA podcaster Kyle Seraphin posted on X while sharing a clip of Barrett’s testimony.
Breanna Morello, a former reporter for InfoWars when it was still owned by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, wrote: “Justice Amy Coney Barrett is discussing all the threats she’s facing. It’s sad and shouldn’t happen, but this shouldn’t be an excuse to cave.
“Her rulings have been out of character. If these threats are an issue for her family, she should step down now.”
In reply, pro-Trump pollster Rich Baris said: “Breanna, 100% correct. Amy Coney Barrett should step down after this testimony. She just admitted she’s shook and it clearly impacts her decisions. That’s FEAR on her face.”
MAGA podcaster Tim Pool also suggested on his show that incidents like the hoax swatting call at Barrett’s home are affecting her “ability to do her job.”
“She may have a bulletproof vest, but her son doesn’t. So let me just stress this. Do you think that affects her ability to do her job? I do, and I’m not saying it to be a d--- or to be mean. I empathize,” Pool said.
“But I got to tell you, when your kid opens the door to a bunch of cops, and that could have been the end of your child, you’re gonna think twice when you’re issuing your opinions. You’re gonna be thinking not about what is just and right for this country, but about what they’re going to do to your kids.”
During her testimony, Barrett cited the case of New Jersey U.S. District Judge Esther Salas, whose 20-year-old son was killed and whose husband was severely injured after a gunman posing as a FedEx driver targeted her home in a shooting in July 2020.
“Federal judges across the country, throughout the judiciary, including the Supreme Court, continue to do their jobs without fear or favor, but the threat level is really high,” Barrett said.
Justice Kagan also lashed out at Trump’s frequent attacks on the Supreme Court and federal judges who rule against him, accusing the president of “dangerous” rhetoric.
“Whatever political figure says them, whatever party that political figure is a member of, these statements are really unhelpful,” she said. “They’re dangerous in terms of individual justices’ security, and they’re not appropriate in the way to treat a coordinate branch of government.”
