'It's Offensive': Justice Alito Rejects MAGA Label and Says Trump's Rhetoric Is Eroding Trust
Justice Alito distances himself from MAGA and Trump's rhetoric.
Oct. 6 2026, Published 4:12 p.m. ET
Justice Samuel Alito said he is not pleased with the rhetoric President Donald Trump and his administration have aimed at the Supreme Court, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Alito was appointed to the position in 2005 after being nominated by former President George W. Bush.
Alito Rejects Trump Administration SCOTUS Rhetoric
Alito makes a distinction between criticism and rhetoric.
The comments came in a recent interview tied to his book, So Ordered: An Originalist's View of The Constitution, The Court and Our Country, published September 29.
"Everybody in this country has the right to criticize what we do," he said. "The substance of their criticism can be quite harsh. If we deserve it, then that's fine. But rhetoric is a different story."
Alito Offended by MAGA Label
Alito was nominated to the Supreme Court by George W. Bush.
Alito also rejected the idea that his opinions belong to Trump's movement.
"It's offensive," he said. "I honestly try to decide every single case on the merits, every single application on the merit. And that's true whether the president is Donald Trump or Joe Biden or Barack Obama or anybody else."
Alito is the author of the 2022 decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, and he has been one of the most consistent votes in the conservative bloc.
Alito Is Against Volume of Emergency Appeals
Alito has concerns over the amount of emergency appeals.
Emergency docket applications have surged in Trump's second term, to a volume that rivals the court's full argued cases in a year, and Alito said the court cannot stop the flow.
Presidents are using executive orders instead of statutes, he said. Then, lawsuits follow, and lower courts issue decisions that send the fight upstairs in days.
"Unless something changes there, and I don't foresee it right now, I'm afraid this is going to continue," he said. "An application is something that I think we have to rule on."
Alito Recused Himself From Climate Case
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Alito recused himself from Suncor Energy Inc. v. County Commissioners of Boulder County.
Alito also explained a recusal at the start of the term, in a climate case over whether cities can sue oil and gas companies for damage linked to global warming.
Dozens of similar suits are pending, and billions of dollars could be at stake.
Alito owns oil-company stock from an inheritance his wife received from her father. He does not own stock in the companies in that case and the court's legal office told him the ethics code allowed him to sit, but he stepped aside anyway.
