Des Moines Sun

Senator Chuck Grassley, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, expressed support for Erika Kirk’s request to allow cameras in the courtroom during the trial of her husband’s accused murderer. In remarks delivered on November 4, 2025, Grassley commended Kirk’s appeal and linked it to his own longstanding advocacy for increased transparency in federal courts.

“I want to complement Erika Kirk, wife of assassinated conservative leader Charlie Kirk. She has made an emotional appeal to have cameras in the courtroom at the trial of her husband’s murderer. I commend her for this brave plea, because it fits in with a stand I’ve been taking for the last couple of decades,” Grassley said.

Grassley noted that while many state courts permit cameras, federal courts do not have such requirements. He stated: “Courts at both the state and federal level have a massive impact on our daily lives and the lives of generations to come, yet few Americans get the chance to see the nation’s courts in action. That’s almost totally true of federal courts. I believe most states do allow cameras in the courtroom, although [it’s] not necessarily required under state procedure in state courtrooms.”

He reiterated his position that allowing cameras would promote greater understanding and trust in the judiciary: “I’ve long held the view that cameras should be present in the federal courts, including the Supreme Court, because what I said about state courts is not yet a requirement in federal courts. Cameras would boost transparency and [help] Americans grow in confidence and understanding of the judiciary if we had cameras in the federal courtrooms.”

Grassley also referenced resistance from some members of the Supreme Court: “Now it’s been maybe a joke that a couple of Supreme Court justices have said having cameras in the Supreme Court would be over their ‘dead body.’ Now I don’t wish anybody at the federal court, whether they’re liberals or conservatives on that court, to pass because of cameras in the courtrooms.”

He concluded by emphasizing that moments with significant historical impact require openness from judicial institutions: “But I happen to believe that cameras in the federal courts, like state courts, would boost transparency and help Americans grow in confidence and understanding of the judiciary. When pivotal moments in history happen, we shouldn’t be timid in calling for greater transparency that history demands in the federal courts.”