Editor’s Note: IFA President/CEO David Kubal prayed over Justice Alito at a recent Consecration of the Courts event in D.C.

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito said this week that he is concerned about a coordinated campaign to pressure the justices, telling Fox News Sunday that he worries about the long-term damage such rhetoric does to the Court’s standing as an institution. His remarks came in response to a question from host Shannon Bream about public figures making statements about the Court, after Bream played a clip of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

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Alito’s comments land at a moment when the Court is deciding cases of enormous consequence and when criticism of the justices has moved from policy disagreement into personal attacks. He was careful to say the pressure does not change how he does his work, but he did not dismiss it as harmless either. What concerned him was not any single statement but the cumulative effect of sustained attacks on public confidence in the judicial branch.

From Breitbart:

Host Shannon Bream said, “The president has gotten a lot of attention this week for making statements about some of your colleagues. Now, he seems to be a big fan of yours. He thinks that you generally get things right. There are other times that some of the people he’s calling out now, he has had great affection and compliment for them as well.”

Alito said, “I put all of that out of my mind. I trust that my colleagues put all of that out of their minds. But I am concerned about the escalation in public rhetoric in general and about the things that people in important positions say about the Supreme Court as a whole and about individual justices. I’m concerned about the long-term effect of that on the standing of the Court.”

He added, “I am concerned about that. There has been a concerted effort to intimidate the court and justices on the court, to try to influence us to decide cases differently from the way in which we have been deciding them. And I am concerned about the future of the court. I think it’s an important institution. It has not always done the right thing, but I think on the whole it has been fundamental in protecting our Constitutional structure and the rights that all Americans enjoy.”

Bream’s question referenced recent statements President Donald Trump has made about some of Alito’s colleagues, noting that the president has praised Alito while criticizing other justices. The segment also included a clip of Schumer, who has previously made remarks about the justices that drew widespread condemnation. Alito declined to engage with specific figures, saying he sets such commentary aside and trusts his colleagues do the same.

The Court’s independence has been a recurring flashpoint since the leak of the Dobbs draft opinion in 2022, which was followed by protests outside the homes of justices, threats against members of the Court, and the arrest of a man charged with plotting to kill Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Justices have since been assigned security details, and the Court has weathered calls from some lawmakers to expand its size or impose term limits in response to rulings they opposed. Alito’s comments frame that broader pattern as an attempt to shape outcomes through pressure rather than through the legal process.

The Constitution separates the judicial branch from the political branches precisely so that judges can decide cases on the law rather than on public sentiment. Article III judges serve during good behavior, a design meant to insulate them from the momentary passions of the electorate. When influential figures publicly threaten or pressure the Court over specific cases, they test whether that insulation holds. Scripture speaks directly to the integrity of judges: Exodus 18:21 instructs that those appointed to judge must be men of truth who hate dishonest gain, while Leviticus 19:15 commands judges not to show partiality to the poor or deference to the great, but to judge neighbors with righteousness. A judiciary that bends to intimidation fails the standard God sets for those who decide matters of justice. Proverbs 24:11 and Psalm 94:20 both remind believers that the powerful often frame their agenda as law, and that God holds them accountable for it. Christians have every reason to pray for judges who will not be moved by threats, and for a public culture that respects the rule of law rather than the loudest voice in the room.

Let’s pray for Justice Alito and every member of the Supreme Court, that they would decide cases according to the Constitution and the law rather than the pressure of public opinion. Let’s pray for leaders in both parties whose words carry weight, that they would speak about the judiciary with restraint and recognize the consequences of rhetoric that inflames. Let’s pray for the security of the justices and their families, who have faced genuine threats in recent years. And let’s pray for the American people, that we would value an independent judiciary even when its rulings disappoint us, remembering that justice is not served by intimidation but by impartial judgment.

How are you praying about this issue? Share your prayers and scriptures in the comments below.

(Excerpt from Breitbart. Photo Credit: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)