"All respect for the office of the presidency aside, I assumed that the obvious and unadulterated decline of freedom and constitutional sovereignty, not to mention the efforts to curb the power of judicial review, spoke for itself"
About this Quote
The sentence then stacks its accusations with prosecutorial rhythm: “obvious,” “unadulterated,” “decline,” “sovereignty.” That piling-on is intentional. It’s not a debate invitation; it’s a refusal to normalize what she frames as institutional backsliding. “Spoke for itself” is the sharpest move here. It’s a withering verdict on the idea that the moment requires yet another explanatory performance from its critics. In her telling, the evidence is already on the table; anyone asking for more is either unserious or complicit.
The subtext is a defense of the judiciary’s role as democracy’s friction, not its ornament. By naming “efforts to curb the power of judicial review,” she’s pointing to a recurring American temptation: when courts block majoritarian or executive ambitions, politicians rebrand constitutional checks as elitist sabotage. Ginsburg’s context - a late-career justice watching norms strain under hyper-partisan pressure - gives the line its urgency. She’s not merely criticizing a president; she’s warning against a power grab disguised as reform, and reminding the reader that “constitutional sovereignty” isn’t a slogan. It’s the limit that makes elected power legitimate.
Quote Details
| Topic | Freedom |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Ginsburg, Ruth Bader. (2026, January 16). All respect for the office of the presidency aside, I assumed that the obvious and unadulterated decline of freedom and constitutional sovereignty, not to mention the efforts to curb the power of judicial review, spoke for itself. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/all-respect-for-the-office-of-the-presidency-123277/
Chicago Style
Ginsburg, Ruth Bader. "All respect for the office of the presidency aside, I assumed that the obvious and unadulterated decline of freedom and constitutional sovereignty, not to mention the efforts to curb the power of judicial review, spoke for itself." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/all-respect-for-the-office-of-the-presidency-123277/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"All respect for the office of the presidency aside, I assumed that the obvious and unadulterated decline of freedom and constitutional sovereignty, not to mention the efforts to curb the power of judicial review, spoke for itself." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/all-respect-for-the-office-of-the-presidency-123277/. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.


