Justice Sotomayor concerned Americans cannot distinguish between presidents and kings [View all]

Source: CNN Politics

PUBLISHED Sep 16, 2025, 12:33 PM ET


Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor on Tuesday urged a greater emphasis on civic involvement and education, questioning whether some Americans had been clearly taught the difference between a president and a king.

Speaking to the New York Law School in Manhattan, the Supreme Court’s senior liberal encouraged people to get involved and lamented what she described as a lack of knowledge about fundamental aspects of American law.

“Do we understand what the difference is between a king and president?” Sotomayor said at one point. “I think if people understood these things from the beginning, they would be more informed as to what would be important in a democracy in terms of what people can or should not do.”

Sotomayor did not directly address President Donald Trump, nor criticism about his efforts to consolidate power within the executive branch. The Supreme Court is considering several appeals challenging the president’s power to unilaterally impose tariffs, fire leaders of independent agencies, and claw back federal spending approved by Congress.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/16/politics/sonia-sotomayor-presidents-kings