Leonard Leo, a conservative activist, accuses Democrats and liberal media outlets of working to delegitimize the Supreme Court in order to undermine its rulings.
Leonard Leo, a conservative activist and prominent fundraiser for the Federalist Society, has accused Democrats and liberal media outlets of engaging in a concerted effort to delegitimize the Supreme Court in order to weaken the impact of its rulings.
"The effort to delegitimize the Supreme Court has now been going on for, probably three or four years, and I think it really reached a peak right after the Dobbs case was decided, and in the run-up to it," Leo told Fox News Digital.
Conservative Activist Calls Out Media's Attempt to Undermine Supreme Court
Leo believes that the attacks on the Supreme Court stem from the dissatisfaction of hard-left billionaire donors and advocacy groups with the court's recent decisions in favor of conservative causes, such as the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the upholding of religious freedom.
"Democrats in the Senate knew full well that when a number of these conservative justices were appointed, and confirmed, that they were going to render decisions in big cases like abortion, religious freedom, the Second Amendment, they were going to render decisions in those cases that hard-left billionaire donors and advocacy groups on their side didn't like," Leo continued. "And ultimately, they lost those confirmations. The left groups that they’re in bed with have lost a lot of these cases."
Conservative Activist Calls Out Media's Attempt to Undermine Supreme Court
He emphasized that the justices make their decisions based on their interpretation of the law, not on external influences or conflicts of interest. "They're not making decisions based on some form of undue influence or conflict of interest," Leo said. "I don't think any justice on the court is doing anything but trying to faithfully interpret the law as they see it."
Leo expressed concern about the media's coverage of the Supreme Court, which he believes often focuses on the outcome of cases rather than the legal reasoning behind them. "First of all, many of the stories that get written about the court's work are couched in terms of what the outcome of the case is, and whether people like or don't like the particular outcome of a case," Leo said.
Conservative Activist Calls Out Media's Attempt to Undermine Supreme Court
He added that this approach encourages the public to view the court as a political institution rather than as a legal body bound by the law. "And unfortunately, lots of media reporting treats the court more like it's a legislature or a political institution… and they encourage people to view the court that way, and to think about whether they like what the court is doing or not based on personal preferences, as opposed to what the law calls for."
Leo has himself been the subject of media scrutiny due to his influence in shaping the conservative judiciary. He has been praised by conservatives for his efforts but criticized by liberals for his perceived role in promoting a conservative agenda.
Conservative Activist Calls Out Media's Attempt to Undermine Supreme Court
Despite the attacks, Leo remains steadfast in his belief that the conservative movement's efforts to bring textualism back to the judiciary have been a success. He sees the current backlash against the Supreme Court as evidence of the movement's effectiveness.
"I think the effort within the conservative movement to transform the Supreme Court and the federal courts and to bring it back to the Constitution, as it was originally understood, has been an enormously successful team effort, going all the way back to Ronald Reagan in the 1980s," he said.
Conservative Activist Calls Out Media's Attempt to Undermine Supreme Court
Leo also criticized recent media coverage that has focused on issues like flags flying outside the homes of Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas and allegations of undue influence. "The problem with all of this is, it creates this atmosphere of scandal. But where's the smoking gun?" Leo asked. "Where's the set of decisions that came out differently because the justices' wives are conservative, or because there's been some undue influence, or some external pressure?"
"Where's the smoking gun?" he reiterated.
