Amy Coney Barrett

Coney Barrett image via Wikimedia via Creative Commons / Media Matters

“DEI judge”: Right-wing media personalities attack Amy Coney Barrett for order requiring the Trump administration unfreeze foreign aid

Commentators called Barrett a “DEI hire,” claimed that “she’s NOT one of us,” and suggested Trump’s next Supreme Court pick should be “a strong male evangelical”

Written by Payton Armstrong

Published

Updated

Update (3/7/25): This article has been updated with additional examples.

After conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined the Supreme Court’s March 5 majority decision to uphold a lower court order requiring President Donald Trump’s administration to pay USAID contractors for work already completed, right-wing influencers lashed out — calling Barrett a “DEI judge” who was “chosen solely because she checked identity politics boxes” and claiming “the power has gone to her head.”

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  • Barrett joined the majority in upholding a lower court order requiring the Trump administration to pay USAID contractors

    • On his first day in office, Trump issued an executive order to pause all foreign aid for 90 days. The order prompted lawsuits from multiple aid organizations that have contracts or grants with the U.S. Agency for International Development and State Department, “alleging that the agencies have illegally frozen all foreign aid payments.” In late February, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts paused a federal judge's order requiring the administration “to pay foreign aid funds to contractors and grant recipients.” [White House, 1/20/25; Reuters, 2/27/25]
    • In a March 5 Supreme Court ruling, Barrett joined the majority to uphold a lower court order requiring the Trump administration to pay USAID contractors for work already completed. The Guardian reported that “Chief Justice John Roberts and Amy Coney Barrett joined the liberal justices in leaving in place a ruling from a US district judge last month, which ordered the administration to unfreeze the nearly $2bn in aid for work that had already been done, and that had been approved by Congress.” [The Guardian, 3/5/25]
    • Trump nominated Barrett to the Supreme Court during his first administration. Barrett, who was nominated to succeed the late liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 2020, was among the four current Supreme Court justices who attended Trump’s March 4 address to a joint session of Congress. [CNN, 9/26/20; Politico, 3/4/25]
    • Right-wing media have been waging a yearslong campaign against DEI efforts, and they have been attacking judges who have halted the Trump administration’s executive actions. [Media Matters, 7/15/24, 5/30/24, 2/11/25]

  • Right-wing media personalities launched sexist attacks against Barrett following the March 5 ruling, calling her a “DEI judge” who was “chosen solely because she checked identity politics boxes”

    • Right-wing influencer Mike Cernovich wrote that Barrett “is evil, chosen solely because she checked identity politics boxes. Another DEI hire.” In a separate post, he wrote, “Amy Coney Barrett is a psychopathic Covidian. She was our DEI hire and now we pay the price.” [Twitter/X, 3/5/25, 3/5/25]
    • MAGA influencer Jack Posobiec declared that Barrett is a “DEI judge.” [Twitter/X, 3/5/25]
    • In an interview with Article III Project founder Mike Davis, Posobiec argued that Barrett “is a warning against the dangers of Republican DEI.” “I agree with your assessment,” Davis said. “She was picked because she's a woman to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg. You know, she's a qualified pick, but she certainly was not the best pick.” [Real America’s Voice, Human Events Daily with Jack Posobiec, 3/6/25]
    • On War Room, Davis called Barrett a “rattled law professor with her head up her ass,” and said, “As we work with the Trump 47 administration on the next Supreme Court list, we're going be looking for more bold, more fearless, less DEI, and people who are, who are going to be more of a sure bet.” [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 3/6/25]
    • Right-wing host Jesse Kelly called Barrett a “traitorous hag” and suggested the courts ruling against Trump are rejecting the “the will of the people,” adding that “at the end of Donald Trump's presidency, we will be closer to political violence in this country than we ever have at any point since the Civil War.” He said, “That is a fact because the American people will understandably take that as a ‘your vote doesn't matter. Vote in whoever you want, we still rule over you.’” [The First, I’m Right with Jesse Kelly, 3/6/25]
    • Right-wing social media influencer Rogan O’Handley, who goes by “DC Draino” online, complained that Barrett looked “very bitter” at Trump’s address, adding, “No wonder why she keeps ruling with the liberals against him.” In another post, O’Handley wrote that “she’s been a disappointment” on almost every issue and asked, “Can we please get a re-do on Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s seat?” [Twitter/X, 3/5/25, 3/5/25; The Daily Dot, 4/7/23]
    • Fox host Mark Levin lamented that “Barrett deceived people into thinking she was a reliable constitutionalist,” adding, “The power has gone to her head.” Levin also wrote that “Roberts and Barrett are political justices. Lightweights.” [Twitter/X, 3/5/25]
    • Pro-Trump “prophet” and streaming host Lance Wallnau asserted that Barrett is “NOT one of us” because she was “glaring at Trump” during his address, and suggested Trump’s next Supreme Court nominee should be “a strong male evangelical.” Wallnau posted: “She’s NOT one of us. Notice her glaring at Trump. No more female University professors! They’re overwhelmingly liberal. I’m serious. I may be jet lagged but I think she’s a democrat. We always go with Catholics but never Evangelicals. Next one - a strong male evangelical.” [Twitter/X, 3/5/25; Rolling Stone, 9/29/22]
    • Conservative activist Amy Kremer called Barrett “the biggest disappointment on the court” and wrote, “As a woman, I’m ashamed I ever supported her.” She also urged Trump to defy the Supreme Court’s decision. [USA Today, 3/6/25]
    • Right-wing podcaster Tim Pool called Barrett “a mistake,” and contributor Mary Morgan added, “She was awfully verklempt about the death of George Floyd, cried about it.” [Timcast IRL, 3/6/25]
    • Responding to Barrett joining the majority, Daily Wire reporter Megan Basham wrote, “Trump has to be thinking that Amy Coney Barrett was a mistake.” [Twitter/X, 3/5/25]

  • MAGA figures also lobbed racist attacks against Barrett’s family, including her adopted children

    • On X, Trump ally Laura Loomer posted a photo of Barrett’s family and wrote: “Amy Coney Barrett was a DEI appointee.” Barrett’s family, which includes two Black children who were adopted from Haiti, were featured prominently during her Senate confirmation hearing in 2020. [Twitter/X, 3/5/25; NPR, 9/14/24; NBC News, 10/16/20]
    • Alex Jones suggested that Barrett had been compromised because of “all those weak kids you’d adopted around the world.” Jones claimed that “people got some calls over at the old Supreme Court, ‘Hey, we got a little dirt on you, Amy Coney Barrett, all those weak kids you'd adopted around the world.’” [Infowars, The Alex Jones Show, 3/6/25]
    • Right-wing pundit Jesse Lee Peterson, who has a history of misogynistic rhetoric, posted: “A weeping female is a destructive female. … Amy Barrett ‘wept’ with her black kids after George Floyd expired.” [Twitter/X, 3/7/25; Media Matters, 11/4/24]