Justice Ginsburg praises media and the role of free press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is praising the media at a time when the Trump administration has accused reporters of being dishonest and delivering "fake news."

Ginsburg told the BBC's "Newsnight" program in an interview Thursday that she reads The Washington Post and The New York Times every day, and that "reporters are trying to tell the public the truth."

The 83-year-old justice did not directly on President Donald Trump, but said she was encouraged by the massive women's march in Washington, the day after his inauguration Jan. 20, when demonstrators protested his election victory.

'I've never seen such a demonstration, both the numbers and the rapport of the people in that crowd," she said. "There was no violence, it was orderly. So yes, we are not experiencing the best times, but there is there is reason to hope that that we will see a better day."

Ginsburg, who leads the high court's liberal wing, was openly critical of Trump in media interviews before his election. She later said she regretted her "ill-advised" comments in which she dismissed Trump as a "faker" who "really has an ego."

Ginsburg told the BBC she is optimistic about the future and America's ability to change direction.

"When the pendulum swings too far in one direction it will go back," she said. "Some terrible things have happened in the United States but one can only hope that we learn from those bad things."

She noted the example of the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II, calling it a "dreadful mistake."

Ginsburg's comments came before a scheduled appearance later Thursday at George Washington University where she planned to promote a book featuring a collection of her writings.