Justice Ginsburg says she regrets offering public criticism of Donald Trump. From CNN, the outlet where Ginsburg had doubled-down on her comments earlier this week:
“On reflection, my recent remarks in response to press inquiries were ill-advised and I regret making them,” Ginsburg said in a statement. “Judges should avoid commenting on a candidate for public office. In the future I will be more circumspect.”
That reversal comes after three major newspapers wrote editorials criticizing Ginsburg’s decision to become a black-robed political pundit. The NY Times went as far as saying Trump was right to criticize her. The Wall Street Journal went further, saying Ginsburg should resign. And the Washington Post, which went easiest on her, still said it was a failure on her part which would cloud her legacy. Other outlets were less subtle in their criticism:
Ruth Bader Ginsburg has lived up to her Notorious RBG nickname this week https://t.co/EXhWZPh0J0 pic.twitter.com/ieJ4yCycGw
— New York Post (@nypost) July 14, 2016
Will this actually cloud her legacy? I suppose it will in the sense that her political views are no longer just a subtext of her long career on the Court. The real Ginsburg is revealed to be the kind of petty progressive who considers leaving the country if she doesn’t get her way. She joins a list of left-wing celebrities who have similarly “joked” about leaving the country, a list that includes Miley Cyrus, Jon Stewart and Cher.
Of course, this is what progressive ideologues already love about Ginsburg. They are not disappointed with her at all. In fact, the people who created the “Notorious RBG” nickname are downplaying her expression of regret as a non-apology:
RBG has apologized for commenting publicly in response to press inquiries. To be clear, not an apology to Trump for substance of statements.
— Notorious R.B.G. (@NotoriousRBG) July 14, 2016
That’s true, isn’t it? With calls for her resignation, Ginsburg really offered the bare minimum response. She isn’t trying to unring the bell she has been pounding on all week, she’s just promising not to ring it again in the future.
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