Barrett Becomes Least Popular Justice in New Poll
A new Economist/YouGov poll reveals that Justice Amy Coney Barrett is the least popular member of the Supreme Court. The Court as a whole is unpopular, with only 36 percent of American adults approving. Among Democrats, 80 percent disapprove, while Republican approval stands at just 69 percent—a surprisingly soft figure given that Republicans hold six of nine seats. Barrett, a conservative appointed by President Donald Trump, is barely above water within her own party, reflecting recent attacks from far-right lawmakers and media figures.
Barrett Joins 5-4 Decisions Against Trump
In late June, Barrett joined two 5-4 rulings that went against Trump and the Republican Party. In Watson v. Republican National Committee (2026), the Court upheld a Mississippi law allowing mail ballots postmarked before Election Day to be counted up to five days later—a practice dating back to the Civil War. In Trump v. Barbara (2026), Barrett rejected Trump's argument that birthright citizenship, established by the 14th Amendment for nearly 130 years, should be overturned. These decisions sparked outrage among Trump allies who had framed the ballot case as a guard against nonexistent fraud and the citizenship case as a stand against an immigration invasion.
MAGA Allies Call for Removal and Condemn Barrett
Reactions were swift and harsh. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) called for Barrett to be removed from the bench. Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) labeled her Watson opinion “shocking” and “terrible.” Podcaster Matt Walsh, with over 4 million X followers, called her a “DEI hire,” and former Fox News host Megyn Kelly branded her a “turncoat.” Right-wing pastor Joel Webbon suggested she is unfit due to adopting two Black children. Trump fumed about the decisions but did not single out Barrett, though CNN reported in 2025 that he privately called her “weak.”
Conservative Defenders Note Barrett's Strong Record
Despite the backlash, Barrett has defenders. The National Review highlighted her role in conservative victories: overturning Roe v. Wade, fortifying the Second Amendment, ending racial preferences, protecting religious liberty, and more. This term, she joined decisions on racially gerrymandered districts, allowing Trump to fire agency heads, protecting girls' sports from transgender athletes, and defending crisis pregnancy centers. Still, polling indicates that voices like Mace, Walsh, and Kelly are shaping Republican views, and Trump's past praise for Justice Samuel Alito as “one of the great justices of all time” suggests future appointees may show even less moderation.
Why Barrett Sometimes Breaks with MAGA
Barrett's breaks with MAGA echo Chief Justice John Roberts's 2012 vote to uphold Obamacare. Both involve issues not anticipated at the time of appointment. In 2020, Trump focused on replacing Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg with an abortion opponent; Barrett delivered in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization (2022). But mail-in voting and birthright citizenship were not vetting priorities then. The GOP's shift against mail ballots emerged after Trump's 2020 loss, and birthright citizenship was uncontroversial until Trump's 2025 attempt to end it. Judge John Coughenour, a Reagan appointee, called the citizenship question “as clear as this one is” in his ruling against Trump. Vice President JD Vance labeled birthright citizenship the “dumbest immigration policy in the world.” Future Republican White Houses are likely to vet nominees closely on these issues, regardless of constitutional clarity.
