Celebs React to Supreme Court’s College Affirmative Action Ruling

On Thursday (June 29), in a landmark ruling the United States Supreme Court struck down affirmative action programs at some of the nation’s biggest colleges, including Harvard as well as the University of North Carolina.

According to NBC, the court ruled that the programs in place violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution and are therefore unlawful. Six justices — Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett and John Roberts — voted to end affirmative action in higher education while three — Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson — voted against ending it.

According to Cornell Law School, affirmative action is “a set of procedures designed to eliminate unlawful discrimination among applicants, remedy the results of such prior discrimination, and prevent such discrimination in the future.”

After the action was announced, President Joe Biden said that he “strongly” disagreed with the ruling.

“For decades, the Supreme Court recognized a college’s freedom to decide how to build a diverse student body and provide opportunity. Today, the Court walked away from precedent, effectively ending affirmative action in higher education. I strongly disagree with this decision,” Biden tweeted.

“Our colleges are stronger when they are racially diverse. And America is stronger because we are tapping into our full range of talent. Today’s Supreme Court decision is not the last word,” he continued.

Meanwhile, twice-impeached and indicted former president Donald Trump released a statement to ABC news calling the ruling a “great day for America.”

“This is the ruling everyone was waiting and hoping for and the result was amazing. It will also keep us competitive with the rest of the world. Our greatest minds must be cherished and that’s what this wonderful day has brought. We’re going back to all merit-based — and that’s the way it should be,” Trump said.

Look below to see what other celebrities had to say about the court’s decision: