By Lucretia Hughes
GREENWICH, Conn. — Television personality and former New York family court Judge Judith Sheindlin delivered a forceful defense of the United States and capitalism in a new interview marking three decades since the debut of her landmark courtroom television program.
Sheindlin, better known to millions of viewers as Judge Judy, told USA Today that despite the nation’s imperfections, she remains proud of America and does not believe people should seek to fundamentally remake the country into something else. Her comments were published Tuesday as CBS marked the 30th anniversary of “Judge Judy.”
“If you don’t like this country, go somewhere else,” Sheindlin said. She described the United States as the “greatest country in the world” and argued that those seeking a fundamentally different system could choose to live elsewhere.
Sheindlin’s remarks quickly spread across social media and conservative news outlets, where they were framed as a rebuke of Americans who routinely criticize the country. The broader interview, however, focused on several subjects, including her career, retirement, family, political correctness and her views about the direction of the United States.
Sheindlin specifically criticized socialism while discussing her hopes for the country. She pointed to American entrepreneurship and innovation as examples of what she believes capitalism has helped produce.
“We are a capitalist country that revered excellence, that revered entrepreneurship,” Sheindlin said.
She cited achievements ranging from the development of the polio vaccine to companies including Apple and Amazon and advances in artificial intelligence. Sheindlin said American society has historically encouraged people to pursue excellence and argued against the idea that equality requires everyone to possess the same abilities or achieve identical outcomes.
Her comments come as the 83-year-old prepares to conclude one of the longest and most recognizable careers in courtroom television.
The original “Judge Judy” premiered in 1996 and ran for 25 seasons before ending in 2021. Sheindlin subsequently returned to television with “Judy Justice,” which is scheduled to conclude in October as she steps away from regular on-camera work.
CBS aired the 90-minute special “Judge Judy: Unfiltered, Unforgettable” on Tuesday night to commemorate the 30th anniversary of her television debut. The program examined Sheindlin’s career and included appearances from family members, friends and entertainment figures.
Sheindlin has long been known for blunt courtroom exchanges and an emphasis on personal responsibility. She told USA Today that she based her televised decisions on what she believed was both legally and morally correct and acknowledged that she has sometimes been willing to take risks by speaking openly.
Her latest remarks are also consistent with some of her previous public statements about American politics, although her political views have not fit neatly into one partisan category.
Sheindlin endorsed former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a Democrat, during his 2020 presidential campaign and publicly opposed Sen. Bernie Sanders’ call for a political revolution. More recently, she criticized Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s prosecution of Donald Trump during a 2024 interview with CNN’s Chris Wallace.
As she approaches retirement from regular television appearances, Sheindlin has said she is not abandoning creative work. Her son, Adam Levy, has begun hosting the syndicated courtroom program “Adam’s Law,” while Sheindlin remains involved as an executive producer. She is also developing an animated project called “Judyverse.”
After 30 years of television fame built partly on saying exactly what she thinks, Sheindlin used one of the interviews marking the end of that era to make clear what she thinks about America: The country has flaws, but she remains firmly proud to call it home.
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