"You just have to deal with the fact that there's a conservative court doing things that conservative jurists have long thought it appropriate to do, and I can really dislike that," Kagan said.
She added that ideological rulings should not be confused with administrative control over the court.
"But it has nothing to do, I think, with becoming the arm of this current administration," she stated.
Academic observers noted shifts in how the current bench approaches established legal precedent.
Bryan Fitzpatrick, an academic, said, "The one thing, in my view, that stands out about the current court compared with past ones is that they do not adhere to the primacy of stare decisis to the same extent."
Disagreements regarding regulatory frameworks and emergency rulings have highlighted ideological debates among the justices.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor commented on a policy initially described as a Muslim ban, saying, "She noted that the policy, initially openly advertised as a complete and unconditional ban on Muslims, is now masked under the cover of national security."
Data shows the administration experienced defeats in lower federal district courts before selectively appealing specific constitutional matters to the high court.
>>> Lacey Chabert Pitches Southern Musical Idea for Hallmark Channel
However, the Supreme Court has also ruled against executive power, including striking down broad tariff programs and rejecting challenges to birthright citizenship.
