‘Somehow Found Her Way to the Bench’: Trump Insults Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson as ‘Low IQ’
President Donald Trump personally attacked U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson in a Truth Social tirade, calling the double Harvard educated, first Black woman to serve on the nation’s highest court “low IQ.”
In a Wednesday morning post criticizing the Supreme Court’s February ruling against his global tariffs that collected more than $166 billion from importers and increased consumer prices, Trump said the conservative majority does not “stick together” like the liberal justices.
Trump wrote of Jackson: “They ALWAYS vote as a group, or BLOCK, even that new, Low IQ person, that somehow found her way to the bench (Sleepy Joe!).”
Pattern Of Rhetoric Draws Criticism
Trump’s insult is consistent with language he has used against political opponents, including several Black women such as U.S. Reps. Jasmine Crockett, Maxine Waters, Ilhan Omar, and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
While the phrase has also been directed at non Black figures, critics say it carries a different historical weight when used against Black Americans.
“It means something different in the Black community, because there is a specific type of racism and white supremacy that attacks Black minds,” said Democratic strategist Ameshia Cross.
Cross pointed to historical claims rooted in slavery era pseudoscience that falsely suggested Black people had lesser intellectual capacity.
Jackson’s Background And Judicial Record
Justice Jackson earned her bachelor’s degree from Harvard College in 1992 and her law degree from Harvard Law School in 1996. She worked as a federal public defender, served as a U.S. district judge, and later on the U.S. Court of Appeals before her 2022 appointment to the Supreme Court by President Joe Biden.
She has become known for forceful dissents and direct criticism of legal arguments tied to Trump administration policies.
During a recent lecture at Yale Law School, Jackson said, “The president of the United States, although he may be harmed in an abstract way by not doing what he wants to do, he certainly isn’t harmed if what he wants to do is illegal.”
Ongoing Tension Between Trump And The Courts
Trump’s remarks follow a series of rulings where Jackson and other justices have challenged executive actions.
“She’s not afraid to stand up to this president,” Cross said. “The only place that has been able to chase down Donald Trump and win has been when he is threatened by the courts.”
Cross added that Trump’s criticism often intensifies when challenged, particularly by Black women in positions of authority.
She also connected the rhetoric to broader political positions, including opposition to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts and policies affecting access to education and economic opportunity.
“This is the guy who says that once you’ve achieved something as a Black person, it’s because of DEI, not because of your intellectual capacity,” Cross said.
