Post from Truth Social

Analysis: Signal-Boosting Judicial Criticism via Miranda Devine Column

This post shares a New York Post opinion column by Miranda Devine criticizing Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson for allegedly applauding anti-ICE speeches at the Grammy Awards. The post is a straightforward amplification of allied media commentary, using the columnist's name and framing as attribution.

Authorship

Posted at 12:37 UTC = 7:37 AM EST (Trump likely at Mar-a-Lago or White House). This is early morning but within the window where both Trump and aides post. The clean formatting, correct attribution, proper URL, and lack of personal commentary or emotional language strongly suggest aide authorship — likely a curated morning media share.

Psychological Context

The post fits within the ongoing DHS/ICE political battle (the two-week funding clock, ICE reform negotiations). Amplifying criticism of a Supreme Court justice for appearing sympathetic to anti-ICE sentiment serves the broader narrative of framing opposition to immigration enforcement as illegitimate. The choice of target — a Biden-appointed Black female justice — is consistent with patterns of attacking perceived outgroup authority figures.

Rhetorical Function

This is a "let others say it" technique: rather than directly attacking Justice Jackson, the post attributes the attack to a respected conservative columnist, lending it journalistic authority while maintaining plausible distance.

Fact Verification

However, the specific claim that Jackson "applauded" these anti-ICE speeches is not supported by evidence. According to Newsweek's video analysis, the only footage that circulated showing Jackson clapping was from early in the ceremony when host Trevor Noah introduced her and joked that anyone who loses a Grammy "can appeal directly to the Supreme Court." In that moment, Jackson smiled, put her hands together, and waved — reacting to her own recognition, not to any anti-ICE rhetoric. Political commentator Micah Erfan noted: "This clip does not show Justice Brown Jackson applauding 'Anti-ICE' rhetoric. The clip shows her smiling and applauding as she is recognized for her Grammy nomination."

Critically, Newsweek confirmed that "Jackson's reaction was not shown during the acceptance speeches by Eilish and Bad Bunny. So her reaction to those remarks remains completely unknown. No video evidence has emerged backing up claims that she applauded those speeches."

Miranda Devine's NY Post column, which is the source being shared in the post, claimed Jackson was "laughing and clapping in the audience" during anti-ICE speeches but provided no video, photographs, or eyewitness accounts to substantiate this. The Fox News article on Sen. Blackburn's investigation demand similarly cited no specific documentation of Jackson applauding during anti-ICE remarks. The Techdirt and Above the Law analyses both noted that Jackson made no political statements or gestures and was merely present at an event where others spoke.

Jackson herself defended her attendance on "The View," explaining she was already in LA for a moot court and had no advance knowledge of what speakers would say. Co-host Whoopi Goldberg noted Jackson "had no way of knowing what anyone's speech was going to be."

In summary: Jackson was at the Grammys (true), anti-ICE speeches happened there (true), but the claim she specifically "applauded" those speeches is unsupported by any available evidence. The only video circulated was misrepresented — it showed her reacting to Trevor Noah's introduction, not applauding anti-ICE rhetoric. The claim conflates her physical presence at the event with active endorsement of the political messaging. |

Overall Veracity: 20%