Senator Marsha Blackburn is not mincing words when it comes to Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s appearance at this year’s Grammy Awards. In fact, she is calling for a formal investigation.
The controversy is not about Jackson’s nomination. She was nominated in the Best Audio Book, Narration and Storytelling Recording category for her memoir, Lovely One. The award ultimately went to the Dalai Lama for Mediations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. On its face, that is not exactly scandal material.
Blackburn’s issue is the venue and the atmosphere surrounding it.
During the ceremony, multiple performers and celebrities wore “ICE out” pins, widely interpreted as a rebuke of federal immigration enforcement. Blackburn noted that one album of the year winner said during an acceptance speech, “Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say ICE out.” In another moment, the winner for song of the year declared “f— ICE.” Blackburn did not name the artists in her statements, but she made clear that the anti law enforcement tone of the evening was unmistakable.
“These statements were just two of many polarized, highly charged anti-law enforcement sentiments from that evening,” Blackburn wrote. “It is important to note that Justice Jackson was present in the audience throughout the event.”
That presence is the heart of the matter. Blackburn argues that Supreme Court justices are supposed to remain above political influence and public partisanship. “Americans deserve a Supreme Court that is impartial and above political influence,” she wrote on X. “When a Justice participates in such a highly politicized event, it raises ethical questions. We need an investigation into Justice Jackson’s ability to remain impartial.”
She did not stop with social media. Blackburn sent a letter to Chief Justice John Roberts urging him “to conduct a thorough investigation” into whether Jackson’s attendance complied with judicial ethics standards. She specifically questioned whether being present at an event saturated with anti ICE rhetoric could affect Jackson’s “ability to remain impartial with respect to immigration matters that come before the Court.”
Blackburn contrasted this situation with past Democratic criticism of Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. Thomas faced scrutiny over trips he disclosed and accepted from billionaire Harlan Crow, which he denied were improper. Alito rejected calls to recuse himself from Jan. 6 related cases, saying he had “an obligation to sit” for them. Blackburn characterized those prior complaints as meritless and argued that Jackson’s situation presents more serious concerns.
Conservative commentator Alex Marlow went even further, saying, “The fact that a Supreme Court Justice of the United States is showing up at an event like the Grammys, reducing herself to that level–and then applauding along as they attack our own law enforcement–is completely insane.”
.@AlexMarlow: Impeach Ketanji!
"The fact that a Supreme Court Justice of the United States is showing up at an event like the Grammys, reducing herself to that level–and then applauding along as they attack our own law enforcement–is completely insane." pic.twitter.com/MvzI76VWm3
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) February 12, 2026
The Supreme Court has not publicly commented on Blackburn’s request. But the broader question is not going away. When justices appear in highly charged cultural arenas where law enforcement is openly mocked, it inevitably fuels debate about whether the nation’s highest court is staying above the political fray or drifting into it.
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