--- title: Trump Congress Address: Supreme Court Justices Skip description: Three Supreme Court justices skipped President Trump's first address to a joint session of Congress. canonical: https://time.com/4686648/trump-congress-address-supreme-court-justices/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-03-01T02:05:57.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-07T07:18:47.310Z article:section: Politics og:title: 3 Supreme Court Justices Skipped Trump's Address to Congress og:description: Ruth Bader Ginsburg went to every one of Obama's speeches og:url: https://time.com/4686648/trump-congress-address-supreme-court-justices/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt44ff348075ee10fd/6988bc5ccd1bba43df704250/capitol-building.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3968 og:image:height: 2232 og:image:alt: The Capitol Building, Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C., United States of America, North America og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 3 Supreme Court Justices Skipped Trump's Address to Congress twitter:description: Ruth Bader Ginsburg went to every one of Obama's speeches twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt44ff348075ee10fd/6988bc5ccd1bba43df704250/capitol-building.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 3 Supreme Court Justices Skipped President Trump's Address to Congress > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=0ad21dc5-7063-4fef-94c1-e002dbdd052a&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=0ad21dc5-7063-4fef-94c1-e002dbdd052a&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=0ad21dc5-7063-4fef-94c1-e002dbdd052a&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=0ad21dc5-7063-4fef-94c1-e002dbdd052a&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: President Trump Closes Address To Congress With Call For Unity [Watch (HLS stream): President Trump Closes Address To Congress With Call For Unity](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/glfwSsUN.m3u8) (1:51)  _Published 2017-03-01. Heralding a "new chapter of American greatness," President Donald Trump stood before Congress for the first time Tuesday night and issued a broad call for overhauling the nation's health care system, significantly boosting military spending and plung_ by [Ryan Teague Beckwith](https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/) ## Ryan Teague Beckwith Mar 1, 2017 2:05 AM UTC Heralding a "new chapter of American greatness," President Donald Trump stood before Congress for the first time Tuesday night and issued a broad call for overhauling the nation's health care system, significantly boosting military spending and plung by [Ryan Teague Beckwith](https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/) ## Ryan Teague Beckwith Mar 1, 2017 2:05 AM UTC Three Supreme Court justices skipped [President Donald Trump](http://time.com/4686231/donald-trump-state-union-immigration-reform/)‘s [first address to a joint session of Congress](http://time.com/4686621/trump-congress-address-transcript/): conservatives Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas and liberal [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](http://motto.time.com/4686381/ruth-bader-ginsburg-workout/). Not attending is unusual for Ginsburg, who attended all eight speeches during President Barack Obama’s tenure, famously falling asleep at a 2015 address because she [“wasn’t 100 percent sober.”](http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/02/13/supreme-court-ginsburg-state-of-the-union/23360117/) But Ginsburg has been harshly critical of Trump, joking during the campaign that [she would move to New Zealand](http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/287179-ruth-bader-ginsberg-if-trump-wins-time-to-move-to-new) if he won and recently saying the country is [“not experiencing the best of times.”](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/02/24/ruth-bader-ginsburg-on-trumps-presidency-we-are-not-experiencing-the-best-of-times/?utm%5Fterm=.63eecba2e287) Alito stopped attending the State of the Union and other joint speeches to Congress after a notable moment at Obama’s 2010 address. After Obama criticized the court’s decision to loosen campaign finance laws in Citizens United, Alito was seen shaking his head and mouthing “not true.” Alito later said that the ceremony was too awkward, with justices sitting there [“like the proverbial potted plant,”](http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/10/16/supreme-court-justice-alito-plans-skip-state-union-address.html) and complained that justices look unpatriotic if they don’t clap but also risk looking partisan if they do. Thomas has long skipped these addresses, arguing that they are “partisan.” “I don’t go because it has become so partisan and it’s very uncomfortable for a judge to sit there,” he said in 2010\. “There’s a lot that you don’t hear on TV — the catcalls, the whooping and hollering and under-the-breath comments.” A court spokeswoman [told Bloomberg](https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-02-28/justice-ginsburg-planning-to-skip-trump-s-speech-to-congress) that Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Anthony Kennedy, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan would attend. ## Transcript America is willing to find new friends and to forge new partnerships where shared interests align. We want harmony and stability, not war and conflict. We want peace wherever peace can be found. America is friends, today, with former enemies. We are one people with one destiny. We all bleed the same blood. We all salute the same great American flag. And we all are made by the same God. The time for small thinking is over. The time for trivial fights is behind us. We just need the courage to share the dreams that fill our hearts, the bravery to express the hopes that [ INAUDIBLE ] our souls, and the confidence that turn those hopes and those dreams into action From now on, America will be empowered by our aspirations, not burdened by our fears. Inspired by the future, not bound by failures of the past, and guided by a vision, not blinded by our doubts. I am asking all citizens to embrace this renewal of the American spirit. I am asking all members of congress to join me in dreaming big and bold and daring things for our country. I am asking everyone watching tonight to seize this moment Believe in yourselves, believe in your future, and believe once more in America. Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the United States. [ APPLAUSE ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4686648/trump-congress-address-supreme-court-justices/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4686648/trump-congress-address-supreme-court-justices/"},"headline":"3 Supreme Court Justices Skipped President Trump's Address to Congress","datePublished":"2017-03-01T02:05:57.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-07T07:18:47.310Z","description":"Ruth Bader Ginsburg went to every one of Obama's speeches","url":"https://time.com/4686648/trump-congress-address-supreme-court-justices/","keywords":["Courts","Supreme Court","Congress","White House","state of the union","Ruth Bader Ginsburg","Donald Trump","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt44ff348075ee10fd/6988bc5ccd1bba43df704250/capitol-building.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Ryan Teague Beckwith","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt44ff348075ee10fd/6988bc5ccd1bba43df704250/capitol-building.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"The Capitol Building, Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C., United States of America, North America","caption":"The Capitol Building, Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C., United States of America, North America","creditText":"John Woodworth—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/courts/","name":"Courts"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4686648/trump-congress-address-supreme-court-justices/","name":"3 Supreme Court Justices Skipped President Trump's Address to Congress"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"President Trump Closes Address To Congress With Call For Unity","description":"Heralding a \"new chapter of American greatness,\" President Donald Trump stood before Congress for the first time Tuesday night and issued a broad call for overhauling the nation's health care system, significantly boosting military spending and plung","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/glfwSsUN/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2017-03-01T04:33:45.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/glfwSsUN.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4686648/trump-congress-address-supreme-court-justices/","duration":"PT1M51S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4686648/trump-congress-address-supreme-court-justices/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```