Pamela Brown Asks Hakeem Jeffries If He Is ‘Undermining’ the Supreme Court After Criticizing Conservative Justices

CNN’s Pamela Brown Challenges Hakeem Jeffries on Supreme Court Criticism

During a segment on Monday, CNN anchor Pamela Brown confronted minority leader Hakeem Jeffries regarding his comments about the Supreme Court and its conservative justices. Jeffries accused the justices of undermining the integrity of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and enabling presidential overreach, likening their actions to those of a king.

Brown questioned whether Jeffries’ remarks might damage public trust in the Supreme Court, asking directly if such criticism could harm belief in this crucial democratic institution during the “Situation Room” segment.

“We should also blame the conservative justices of the Supreme Court for everything we think is going on,” Jeffries stated. “They have effectively granted this president a kind of immunity in a nation where the framers sought to prevent any king-like authority.”

Brown pressed on, asking if Jeffries was undermining trust in the judiciary by suggesting it had made the president feel untouchable. Her question highlighted the potential repercussions of such statements on public confidence.

The Supreme Court ruled in July 2024 that the president was shielded from criminal prosecution for actions taken while in office, responding to a lawsuit from former special counselor Jack Smith concerning allegations of conspiracy aimed at overturning the 2020 election results.

Jeffries expressed that the decision to grant immunity eroded faith in the judiciary, claiming it lacked both legal justification and alignment with the principles envisioned by the framers of the Constitution. “There’s no constitutional or legal basis for this decision,” he asserted, adding that it’s valid to question the implications of such rulings over the months that followed.

Further complicating matters, Jeffries also addressed the resignation of federal prosecutor Eric Siebert. Siebert stepped down after failing to file charges regarding an investigation into mortgage fraud associated with New York Attorney General Letitia James, who may have made misleading claims about her residence.

In one notable incident from June 2022, Nicholas Rosuke allegedly attempted to assassinate Associate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh at his home in Maryland. This threat emerged amidst public backlash over a leaked Supreme Court decision which ultimately overturned Roe v. Wade, returning the authority on abortion laws to individual states. Rosuke is now identifying as transgender.