Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has ramped up her criticism of Donald Trump in recent days, going so far as to say late Monday that the businessman is a “faker” who must release his tax returns.
“He is a faker,” Ginsburg said in an interview with CNN. “He has no consistency about him. He says whatever comes into his head at the moment. He really has an ego. … How has he gotten away with not turning over his tax returns? The press seems to be very gentle with him on that.”
It’s highly unusual for a Supreme Court justice to be so candid as to offer their thoughts, let alone criticisms, of a candidate running for the U.S. presidency.
Ginsburg went on to say that at first she thought Trump’s candidacy “was funny” and lamented that he’s received “so much free publicity.”
Trump has so far not released his tax returns, pointing to an ongoing audit. His spokeswoman Hope Hicks echoed that explanation when asked by CNN to comment on Ginsburg’s remarks.
CNN’s interview with Ginsburg was prescheduled, but biographer Joan Biskupic decided to deviate from her questions after the justice made critical comments of Trump to other publications. Ginsburg told The New York Times that she “can’t imagine” a Trump presidency and told the Associated Press that “everything” would be up for grabs if he were elected commander-in-chief.
