CBS News
Samuel Alito warned that physical threats and harassment against Supreme Court justices after an unpopular opinion have become “quite disturbing,” and that it took great “courage” for the majority to render the earth-shaking Dobbs decision.
“Is there an example that you can think of that a case that required particular courage?” asked chief legal correspondent Jan Crawford for a new CBS News interview that will air on Monday.
“Well, the leading example is Dobbs,” Alito said. “I think that required courage by all of the justices in the majority. Of course, it actually involved — we didn’t know it at the time, we didn’t know it when we produced the draft that was leaked — but it required courage to go ahead with that because of the implications.”


Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito said the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization case, which overturned Roe v. Wade, required “courage” from all of the justices in the majority.
"We didn't know it when we produced the draft that was leaked, but it required courage… pic.twitter.com/hFfHE6ZZsS
— CBS News (@CBSNews) October 2, 2026

The 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case authored by Alito effectively overturned Roe v. Wade, which had guaranteed abortion rights for nearly 50 years.
President Joe Biden addressed the nation after the ruling, saying he stood with those who opposed the high court’s ruling, but urged Americans to “keep all protests peaceful”
“That was an example,” Alito continued. “There are others. I mean, there are cases that have resulted in the loss of old friendships, and it’s something that you have to live with.”
“But you’ve lost friends over Dobbs?” Crawford asked, and Alito answered, “Yes, sure.”
“Is that just part of the job being a justice?” Crawford asked. “You’re going to lose friends, you’re going to get protested, you’re going to have death threats, you’re going to have to wear a bulletproof vest today?”
“It’s part of the job that you’re going to displease people by making decisions on controversial matters, because one side or the other is going to really dislike you because of the decisions. The physical threats and the harassment represent something new in our society, and something that’s quite disturbing. And I think it’s a danger. It’s a danger for the courts, and it’s a danger for others in public life.”
Watch the clip above via CBS News on X.
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