“Democracy is at risk. Freedom is at risk,” he told attendees of a webinar Thursday.

“Democracy doesn’t live on automatic pilot. You don’t take a DNA test to see if you believe in freedom,” he added. “Freedom and democracy are taught, and teaching is a conscious act, and that’s what our judges do.”

Kennedy delivered the remarks during the latest edition of Speak Up for Justice, a nonpartisan effort and virtual forum to advocate for upholding and protecting the authority of the judiciary. Joined by other American judges as well as judges from Poland, South Africa and Venezuela, Kennedy — who retired from the bench during the first Trump presidency in 2018 — cautioned that the political polarization and erosion of the judiciary’s integrity pose a threat to freedom and democracy in the United States.