Public opinion of several conservative Supreme Court justices has taken a hit over the past year, according to a new YouGov/The Economist poll, with Justices Clarence Thomas, Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh all posting weaker favorability ratings than they did in 2025. The findings come as the Supreme Court’s overall approval remains underwater and follows a series of closely watched rulings on presidential power and birthright citizenship.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett sees the sharpest decline
Among the conservative justices, Barrett recorded the steepest decline in public approval. The survey, conducted between July 3 and July 6 among 1,603 U.S. adults, found Barrett’s favorability at 23%, compared with 38% unfavorable, giving her a net favorability of -15. A year earlier, she posted a 28% favorable rating against 37% unfavorable, for a net score of -9.
Former Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg said Barrett’s decline reflects broader public dissatisfaction with the Court rather than a single decision. “The large drop in favorability isn’t tied to just one ruling or one president. It’s the cumulative weight of an activist Court that many Americans increasingly see as political. Overturning Roe v. Wade, dismantling the Voting Rights Act and granting unprecedented presidential immunity have fundamentally disrupted public trust. Justice Barrett, meanwhile, has upset both sides of the aisle with her rulings, which is why her numbers are worse than the others,” Aronberg said in a statement.
Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh also lose ground
Justices Thomas and Kavanaugh also posted weaker ratings than last year. Thomas’ favorability fell from 31% to 29%, while his unfavorable rating rose from 39% to 41%, pushing his net favorability from -9 to -12. Kavanaugh’s favorability slipped from 31% to 27%, with his unfavorable rating improving slightly from 39% to 37%. His net rating nevertheless declined from -8 to -10.
Chief Justice John Roberts also saw a modest drop, moving from a net favorability of -9 last year to -11 this year.
Liberal justices improve
The YouGov/The Economist survey showed stronger numbers for the Court’s liberal members. Justice Sonia Sotomayor posted the highest net favorability with 11 points, while Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson improved from a net rating of 2 last year to 8 this year. Justice Elena Kagan also registered a notable increase, climbing from a net favorability of -3 to 6. Among conservatives, Justice Neil Gorsuch was the only member whose net favorability improved, climbing from -8 to -7.
Overall Supreme Court approval remains underwater
The poll found the Supreme Court’s overall approval rating at 36%, compared with 50% disapproval. Respondents also viewed the Court as leaning too far to the right, with 44% saying it is “too conservative,” while only 9% described it as “too liberal.”
When asked whether recent Supreme Court rulings have given the president too much power, 45% agreed, 29% indicated they believe the Court has granted about the right amount of authority to the president and 9% said it gave the president too little power. The remaining 17% said they were unsure.