(NewsNation) — Legal expert Jesse Weber defended Justice Amy Coney Barrett against criticism from Trump allies, saying she is “documenting herself as more of a centrist” while making decisions on procedural grounds rather than political ideology.
During a Monday interview on “The Hill on NewsNation,” Weber characterized the backlash against Barrett as a “crazy amount of hate” that misrepresents her judicial approach. The Supreme Court justice has faced growing criticism from prominent Trump allies after siding with liberal justices on several recent cases.
“This is not her just saying she’s siding against Donald Trump’s agenda,” Weber said. “This is kind of what you want in a Supreme Court justice, you want somebody in the center who looks at this and somebody who will side with the other side.”
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The comments came following a Supreme Court ruling allowing the Trump administration to continue deporting noncitizens believed to be Tren de Aragua gang members under the Alien Enemies Act. Barrett joined the court’s three liberal justices in partial dissent.
Weber explained that Barrett’s position in the case focused on procedural concerns rather than opposition to Trump’s immigration policies.
“Her biggest issue was she said, ‘I don’t think the Supreme Court should have looked at this issue,'” noting Barrett believed the case should have first proceeded through lower courts.
Some are now calling her Trump’s “biggest mistake,” with Sen. Mike Lee calling her vote “disappointing.”
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Barrett has recently sided with liberal justices on multiple hot-button issues, including DOGE regulation, Arizona’s voter ID law and legal challenges to the Biden administration over COVID-era social media policies — deepening the divide over her 2020 nomination.
The criticism of Barrett represents a reversal from her 2020 confirmation, when Republicans, including then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, praised her legal expertise and judicial temperament.
McConnell had described her as having “the deep legal expertise, dispassionate judicial temperament and sheer intellectual horsepower that the American people deserve.”
Weber said Barrett’s independence demonstrates proper judicial behavior rather than partisan loyalty, adding, “You got to congratulate her on that.”
