CNN’s Fareed Zakaria blasts 'disgusting' remarks by Justice Alito: 'Really damages the court’s legitimacy'

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CNN's Fareed Zakaria, Jim Acosta bash Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito

CNN anchors Fareed Zakaria and Jim Acosta rip into Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito for remarks about foreign critics of the court.

CNN’s Fareed Zakaria blasted Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito for damaging the court’s legitimacy by mocking foreign critics who denounced the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. 

"Frankly disgusting," Zakaria said on Sunday during an appearance on left-wing anchor Jim Acosta’s program. "It was the most undignified performance by a Supreme Court justice that I have seen in my lifetime."

Acosta, a former White House correspondent known for his openly liberal editorializing, declared Americans were "justifiably, understandably outraged" at the Supreme Court. 

Speaking in Rome earlier this month in his first public appearance since the controversial ruling, Justice Alito addressed the backlash he has received following his vote to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision on the constitutional right to an abortion. Alito took the moment to jab foreign critics like U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who called the June ruling a "step backward."

CNN’s Fareed Zakaria said Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito damaged the court’s legitimacy by mocking foreign critics who denounced the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. (AP)

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"I had the honor this term of writing, I think, the only Supreme Court decision in the history of that institution that has been lambasted by a whole string of foreign leaders, who felt perfectly fine commenting on American law," Alito said. 

"One of these was former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. But he paid the price," he joked in reference to the Johnson's decision to resign his post earlier this month.

Alito also called attention to criticism the high court received from French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

"But what really wounded me was when the Duke of Sussex addressed the United Nations and seemed to compare the decision whose name may not be spoken with the Russian attack on Ukraine," Alito said. "Well, despite this temptation I'm not going to talk about cases from other countries… ultimately, if we are going to win the battle to protect religious freedom in an increasingly secular society, we will need more than positive law." 

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Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito (Erin Schaff/The New York Times via AP, Pool, File)

Acosta asked Zakaria about the remarks, paving the way for the liberal host to scold the conservative justice. 

"I think that it really damages the court’s legitimacy. Look, one of the things that has kept the court’s legitimacy over time, has been a sense of dignity. A sense of majesty. A sense that the justices are doing what they’re doing for serious constitutional reasons, they don’t pay attention to the chitter-chatter," Zakaria said. 

"Nobody elected them. The reason they have that legitimacy is, to put it very simply, that they behave themselves. That they behave in accordance with the kind of dignity and majesty of the court. What Alito did, behaving like a cheap, like a commentator, and not a particularly good one at that, was frankly disgusting," Zakaria continued. "I thought it was the most undignified performance by a Supreme Court justice I have seen in my lifetime, I don’t think any of his predecessors would have done it. I think it’s scandalous." 

Zakaria then said Chief Justice John Roberts should scold Alito over the remarks. 

Fareed Zakaria’s rant comes as CNN CEO Chris Licht is evaluating the network’s hosts, anchors and reporters to see who should stick around. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Warner Bros. Discovery)

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"It damages the court, it makes it look less dignified, less thoughtful, less cerebral, and less respectful of the country that it is ultimately in this extraordinary position of power over," Zakaria said. 

Zakaria’s rant comes as CNN CEO Chris Licht is evaluating the network’s hosts, anchors and reporters to see who should stick around. Licht is thought to prefer nonpartisan news to the liberal approach CNN has taken in recent years. 

Fox News’ Caitlin McFall contributed to this report. 

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