Alito’s Culture-War Speech Called ‘Insane,’ ‘Moving’ by Lawyers

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito‘s sharp public remarks on religious freedom, speech rights in the Covid-19-era, and other issues before the court renewed debate over the propriety of such comments by a sitting jurist, sparking reactions ranging from “moving” to “disturbing.”

The conservative justice’s comments spanning the culture wars at a Federalist Society event came as Chief Justice John Roberts has tried to convince a politically polarized nation that the court isn’t just another political institution, following bruising confirmation battles for President Donald Trump’s nominees that strengthened the conservative majority.

The remarks also come as the court considers a ...