Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson is facing online mockery following her appearance on Michelle Obama's podcast, "IMO." During the conversation, Jackson emphasized the importance of judicial impartiality and the steps she takes to avoid any appearance of bias.
"You really have to be focused on that," Jackson stated on the podcast. "There are lots of limits on what judges can do, and I try to be very, very mindful and scrupulous with respect to that because, as you say, our obligation is to be unbiased in our approach."
She elaborated that she often declines invitations for activities that could create an appearance of partiality. Obama questioned Jackson about her methods for staying unbiased, asking about her information consumption and how she manages potential conflicts of interest to remain "above board."
Jackson explained that court employees assist in this process, and all invitations she receives are screened by the court's legal and public information offices to ensure there are no ethical conflicts or appearances of impropriety. "You also have to watch your exposure to things, so that there isn’t a bias," Jackson said.
Following the podcast episode, social media users quickly voiced their reactions, with many highlighting the perceived irony of Jackson discussing impartiality on a podcast hosted by the former first lady. Critics pointed to the platform and the host as creating a situation that some found contradictory to the principle of avoiding any appearance of partiality.
Commentators shared remarks such as "Make it make sense" and "She doesn’t really expect anyone to believe that, does she?" Others described the situation as having "no strong enough word for the irony."
Fox News Digital has reached out to Michelle Obama and the Supreme Court for comment.