A former investigator for the House committee that examined the January 6 attack has warned that Supreme Court justices could face heightened risks following Donald Trump’s reaction to a recent ruling against him.
Temidayo Aganga-Williams, an attorney who served as an investigator for the House Jan. 6 committee, raised concerns during an appearance on MS NOW over the weekend. He was discussing Trump’s response to a Supreme Court decision that curbed the president’s authority to impose new tariffs without clear limits.
Aganga-Williams suggested that Trump’s criticism of the justices went beyond disagreement with the ruling itself. Instead, he argued, the former president directed his frustration at the individuals on the bench, including those he personally nominated.
“It’s always about the person. And here I think what’s stark is that he cannot hide behind who appointed them. These are folks that he appointed, that he picked, that he shook their hands and nominated them, and espoused how great they are. And even they came down against him. So he has to go down to attacking them personally, which I think is incredibly, incredibly dangerous because it’s one thing to say a judge got it wrong,” the lawyer said.
The Supreme Court’s decision marked a setback for Trump, limiting executive authority in the area of trade policy. While presidents have historically exercised significant discretion over tariffs, the ruling clarified boundaries that the court determined had been exceeded.
Aganga-Williams argued that the tone of Trump’s response could have broader implications in a political climate already marked by tension and sporadic violence. He warned that targeting judges as individuals, rather than focusing on legal reasoning, risks undermining faith in institutions.
“When you attack the person, you suggest that the way to rectify this is with that person. And in a world of political violence, I think we get closer and closer to teaching the American people that what they have to do to rectify their needs is not go through institutions, but instead something far more dangerous. And I think that’s the path we’re down.”
His comments come amid ongoing national debates over judicial independence and the safety of public officials. In recent years, judges at various levels have reported threats and increased security concerns, particularly in politically charged cases.
Aganga-Williams did not point to any specific threat but framed his warning in the context of rhetoric that personalizes legal disputes. He suggested that language matters, especially when it comes from high-profile political figures with large followings.
The Supreme Court itself has not publicly addressed Trump’s remarks. However, concerns about the safety of justices and other federal judges have grown in recent years, prompting calls for additional protective measures.
Aganga-Williams’s remarks highlight the continuing tensions between the executive branch and the judiciary and the potential consequences when political disputes shift from policy disagreements to personal attacks.
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