Ginsburg uses levity to talk about Donald Trump at Stanford

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ByLilian Kim KGO logo
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
2017: Justice Ginsburg uses levity to talk at Stanford
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg delighted the crowd at Stanford Tuesday where she took part in the university's Rathburn Lecture on a Meaningful Life.

STANFORD, CA -- Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg delighted the crowd at Stanford Tuesday where she took part in the university's Rathburn Lecture on a Meaningful Life.

There were a few ground rules: Ginsburg wasn't going to talk about Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch for instance, but Ginsburg certainly injected her opinions where she could.

She never mentioned President Trump or his executive orders that are bound to appear before the Supreme Court, but during the question and answer portion of the evening, it was clear that justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is no fan of the current state of politics.

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"Some things I would like to change," she said. "One is the electoral college..."

Ginsburg is the second woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, and was appointed by President Clinton in 1993.

She recalled one of her biggest supporters during her confirmation hearings, Republican Senator Orrin Hatch. "I think today he wouldn't touch me with a 10-foot pole," she said.

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Ginsburg says she wishes she had a magic wand to bring respect back to Washington.

At 83 years old, she is the oldest judge on the Supreme Court. Her supporters have jokingly encouraged her to eat more kale in hopes she'll outlast a Trump presidency.

Moments of levity like some she experienced at Stanford are representative of her sense of humor--something she says has helped her in life.

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