Liberal academics love to attack conservative Supreme Court justices.
But they hate getting called out for their own words.
And John Kennedy caught one law professor in a lie that made her squirm.
Law professor calls Supreme Court justices “evil” on her podcast
The Left’s war on the Supreme Court has reached a fever pitch since the Court started ruling based on the Constitution instead of liberal political preferences.
Democrats and their allies in academia have launched unprecedented attacks on conservative justices, questioning their legitimacy and even their character.
University of Pennsylvania law professor Kate Shaw stepped over the line when she appeared on her podcast earlier this year.
Shaw specializes in constitutional law and administrative law at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.
But her academic credentials didn’t stop her from making outrageous statements about sitting Supreme Court justices.
On her April 22, 2024 podcast titled “Will SCOTUS Let January 6 Defendants Off the Hook?” Shaw made a shocking comment about conservative justices.
“So good result, definitely constructed opinion by Justice Kagan. I mean will she be able to control its potential future distortion by her evil colleagues? Probably not,” Shaw said on the podcast.
Shaw was referring to a majority opinion in Muldrow v. City of St. Louis and calling some Supreme Court justices “evil.”
The comment would come back to haunt Shaw when she appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
John Kennedy puts law professor in the hot seat
Republican Louisiana Senator John Kennedy is known for his folksy demeanor and sharp questioning during Senate hearings.
Kennedy got his chance to grill Shaw during a recent Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
The Louisiana Senator pressed Shaw on her inflammatory comments about Supreme Court justices.
Kennedy asked Shaw which justices she was referring to when she called them “evil” on her podcast.
Shaw tried to dodge the question by claiming she didn’t recall using that word.
“I’ll take it your word, Senator. I don’t recall using that word,” Shaw told Kennedy.
But Kennedy wasn’t buying Shaw’s attempt to backtrack from her statement.
The Senator had done his homework and came prepared with Shaw’s exact words from her podcast.
“All right, here’s what you said. You were talking about the majority opinion in Muldrow v. City of St. Louis. You said, quote, Justice Kagan, I mean, will she be able to control the opinion’s future distortion by her evil colleagues? Probably not, end quote. Who were you talking about?” Kennedy asked.
Shaw continued to deny making the statement, suggesting it might have been a transcription error.
“Sir, I’m very skeptical. If it was a transcription, it was probably a transcription error. I do not think I said that,” Shaw responded.
Kennedy wasn’t having any of Shaw’s excuses and called her out for being embarrassed about her own words.
Kennedy delivers the knockout punch
Kennedy’s questioning grew more intense as Shaw continued to dodge responsibility for her comments.
The Senator pointed out that Shaw was an officer of the court who was advising the committee to be respectful of federal judges while calling Supreme Court justices “evil.”
“You’re embarrassed that you made this statement, aren’t you? You’re an officer of the court,” Kennedy said.
Shaw tried to claim she had been critical of the court but never used such derogatory language in her classroom.
“I would have to refresh my recollection. I’ve been very critical of the members of the Supreme Court,” Shaw said.
Kennedy wasn’t convinced and provided Shaw’s exact words from the podcast to prove his point.
The Louisiana Senator delivered the knockout punch with his signature folksy style.
“You did, right here, on your podcast, on April 22, 2024, big as Dallas. And you’re an officer of the court, and you’re here advising us to be respectful of federal judges. And you say they’re evil members of the United States Supreme Court. Gag me with a spoon. You’re part of what’s the problem in all of this,” Kennedy declared.
Shaw’s attempt to deny the comments was completely undermined by Kennedy’s thorough preparation.
The Senator had the receipts to prove that Shaw indeed called certain Supreme Court justices “evil” on her April 22, 2024 podcast episode.
Shaw’s claim that it was a transcription error was exposed as misleading since the words were clearly spoken in the podcast itself.
Law professors leading the assault on the Supreme Court
Shaw’s comments are part of a broader pattern of liberal academics attacking conservative Supreme Court justices.
Law professors across the country have been undermining public confidence in the Supreme Court since it started issuing conservative rulings.
These attacks are particularly dangerous because they come from people who are supposed to respect the rule of law and teach future lawyers about the importance of judicial independence.
Shaw’s willingness to call sitting Supreme Court justices “evil” shows how far some academics are willing to go to delegitimize the Court.
Kennedy’s questioning exposed the hypocrisy of Shaw advising senators to be respectful of federal judges while she herself was making inflammatory attacks on the nation’s highest court.
The exchange showed why John Kennedy has become one of the most effective questioners in the Senate.
His ability to cut through the nonsense and expose the truth makes him a formidable opponent for anyone trying to dodge accountability.
Shaw learned the hard way that you can’t get away with making outrageous statements and then pretending they never happened when John Kennedy is asking the questions.
