Supreme Court justice turns on her own court with dire warning about American democracy

Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan made the case that recent rulings from the conservative-majority high court are destabilizing democracy, suggesting that it isn't working "as well as it should."The remarks from the liberal justice came during a closed discussion before faculty and students at Catholic University's law school in Washington, D.C.The discussion between Kagan and law professor Joel Alicia, who previously clerked for Justice Samuel Alito, comes just weeks after the Supreme Court began its new term, during which it's expected to rule in major cases that will determine the scope of gun rights and state election integrity laws, among other issues.The conversation also comes less than two weeks before the midterm elections, as President Donald Trump and Republican state lawmakers have pushed for new congressional maps drawn to favor Republicans and bolster their chances of maintaining control of the House.Democratic-led states have responded by redrawing their own maps, fueling ongoing lawsuits and court battles.SUPREME COURT KICKS OFF NEW TERM WITH FRESH QUESTIONS OVER ITS LEGITIMACY AND ITS FUTUREElena Kagan, associate justice of the US Supreme Court, during a House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government hearing in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, July 14, 2026.

The justices are unlikely to engage with any questions from lawmakers that touch on their rulings, or the high court's deliberations.(Aaron Schwartz / Bloomberg via Getty Images)Kagan pointed to the Supreme Court’s 2019 ruling in Rucho v.

Common Cause, in which she dissented, as the beginning of a "race to the bottom." She argued that the decision, which barred federal courts from invalidating maps solely because they unfairly favor one political party, deprived "masses of citizens" of their "rights to voting equality."Kagan suggested that the influx of gerrymandered maps is "driving people away from the center toward the wings, toward the extremes."Making what...