Opinion
Chief Justice Roberts debunks NPR story on SCOTUS drama as liberals desperately defend botched report
Chief Justice John Roberts provided a devastating blow to NPR’s report alleging a feud between Affiliate Justices Neil Gorsuch and Sonia Sotomayor.
A narrative printed by NPR on Tuesday went viral inside liberal media circles, which alleged that Gorsuch refused to put on a masks whereas on the bench subsequent to Sotomayor, who has diabetes and makes her weak to COVID, regardless of having been requested by Roberts.
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“Now, although, the scenario had modified with the omicron surge, and in keeping with court docket sources, Sotomayor didn’t really feel protected in shut proximity to individuals who had been unmasked,” NPR’s chief authorized affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg wrote. “Chief Justice John Roberts, understanding that, in some kind requested the opposite justices to masks up. All of them did. Besides Gorsuch, who, because it occurs, sits subsequent to Sotomayor on the bench. His continued refusal since then has additionally meant that Sotomayor has not attended the justices’ weekly convention in particular person, becoming a member of as an alternative by phone.”
Fox Information’ Shannon Bream reported Tuesday on “Particular Report” that NPR’s reporting was “not correct,” in keeping with a supply, saying there was by no means a request by Roberts for everybody to put on masks, Sotomayor by no means made such a request to Gorsuch and Gorsuch by no means refused to put on a masks.
On Wednesday, Gorsuch and Sotomayor issued an unprecedented joint assertion declaring the NPR’s story “false.”
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“Reporting that Justice Sotomayor requested Justice Gorsuch to put on a masks shocked us. It’s false. Whereas we could typically disagree in regards to the legislation, we’re heat colleagues and pals,” the assertion learn.
That didn’t fulfill liberals within the media, who continued to defend NPR’s report.
Supreme Court docket justices Neil Gorsuch and Sonia Sotomayor issued a joint assertion calling an NPR report “false.”
(Reuters)
“That’s not what the reporting stated, although. It stated that Chief Justice Roberts requested him,” MSNBC host Rachel Maddow reacted.
“However… the report was that Roberts requested him to put on a masks, not Sotomayor. So… I don’t get this assertion,” The Nation correspondent Elie Mystal equally tweeted. “Is that this one other pretend comma gaslighting from Group Gorsuch factor?”
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“I invite anybody right here to place their sources up towards Nina Totenberg’s,” New York Journal senior correspondent Irin Carmon challenged NPR’s critics.
NPR reporter David Gura went even futher, suggesting Gorsuch and Sotomayor had been mendacity, writing, “I shocked at what number of Supreme Court docket correspondents I like are passing alongside an announcement from two justices that’s at finest false with none context in any respect.”
NPR equally defended its report, telling Fox Information, “NPR stands by Nina Totenberg’s reporting. Totenberg by no means reported that Justice Sotomayor requested Justice Gorsuch to put on a masks, or did she report that anybody admonished him.”
The assertion was made earlier than the chief justice weighed in.
“I didn’t request Justice Gorsuch or some other Justice to put on a masks on the bench,” Roberts stated.
A few of NPR’s defenders continued to again the botched report even after Roberts’ assertion. The Nation’s Mystal, for instance, stated critics are “actually free to imagine the Chief Justice over the reporter on this.”
Responding to Roberts’ assertion, NPR advised Fox Information, “We stand by her reporting,” indicating Totenberg could have “one other story popping out” imminently.
Totenberg doubled down on her reporting, writing in a follow-up article, “What’s incontrovertible is that every one the justices have directly began sporting masks—besides Gorsuch. In the meantime, Justice Sotomayor has stayed out of the courtroom. As an alternative, she has participated remotely within the court docket’s arguments and the justices’ weekly convention, the place they talk about the instances and vote on them.”
Fox Information’ Brian Flood contributed to this story.
