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Before the election, in July 2016, Justice Ginsburg criticised Donald Trump – calling him “a faker”. She later said she regretted making the comments.
“Think of what the press has done in the United States,” she said citing the Watergate scandal. “That story might never have come out if we didn’t have the free press that we do.”
Asked about the rise of the so-called “post truth world”, Justice Ginsburg said: “I am optimistic in the long run. A great man once said that the true symbol of the United States is not the bald eagle. It is the pendulum.
“And when the pendulum swings too far in one direction it will go back.
“Some terrible things have happened in the United States but one can only hope that we learn from those bad things.”
Justice Ginsburg said she was encouraged by the Women’s March, which saw millions in the US and around the world take part in anti-Trump protests.
“I’ve never seen such a demonstration – both the numbers and the rapport of the people in that crowd. There was no violence, it was orderly. So yes, we are not experiencing the best times but there is there is reason to hope that that we will see a better day.”
Justice Ginsburg has been on the Supreme Court since 1993 and – at 83 years-old – is the oldest serving member.
Asked how much longer she would stay in post, she said: “At my age you have to take it year by year. I know I’m OK. What will be next year?”
She added: “I’m hopeful however, because my most senior colleague the one who most recently retired, Justice John Paul Stevens, stepped down at age 90. So I have a way to go.” – BBC