A newly released episode of Michael Patrick Leahy Interviews features veteran journalist James Rosen discussing his latest book on Antonin Scalia, associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1986 to 2016.
Rosen, currently the chief Washington correspondent for Newsmax and formerly of Fox News, centered the discussion on his new book, Scalia: Supreme Court Years, 1986 to 2001, which explores the early tenure of the late justice.
“[The book] covers the first half of Justice Scalia’s momentous nearly 30 terms on the Supreme Court. It takes you from his first day on the job… and it takes you all the way up through the national trauma of Bush v Gore,” Rosen explained.
Rosen revealed that his fascination with Scalia began early in life.
“I had been fascinated with Antonin Scalia starting in high school, honestly,” he said, adding humorously, “and I hasten to add that I was a normal person.”
He recalled watching televised debates featuring prominent figures moderated by Fred Friendly, where Scalia stood out.
“Scalia just struck me… as fundamentally different from all the other participants,” Rosen said. “He had that outer borough New York City chip on his shoulder… and he had a kind of a sarcastic sense of humor.”
One of the interview’s most vivid segments recounts Rosen’s early attempt to interview Scalia after joining Fox News in 1999. Initially declining, Rosen challenged the justice’s reasoning in a follow-up letter, which he said prompted an unexpected response.
“And he wrote back again… and said in essence, dear Mr. Rosen, you are right. Period,” Rosen said, emphasizing how rare such a concession was from the famously sharp jurist.
“Now right there, I could probably retire, because the words ‘you are right’ probably were never heard by a majority of Justice Scalia’s clerks…and probably by a majority of his children and even Mrs. Scalia.”
The exchange ultimately led to an off-the-record lunch between the two, which Rosen described in detail. The meeting took place at a modest Italian restaurant in Washington, where Scalia took charge, even of Rosen’s meal.
“I said to the guy, I’ll have the veal parmesan… and Scalia out of nowhere says, ‘No, give him the rabbit,’” Rosen recounted. “I had never had rabbit. I didn’t want rabbit. I was grossed out by the thought of having rabbit. I haven’t had rabbit since.”
“Here you have the country’s foremost opponent of judicial activism overruling my lunch order,” he added.
Watch Rosen’s full interview here:
🚨MUST WATCH – I interviewed @JamesRosenTV on his new book, the 2nd volume of his biography of Justice Antonin Scalia: The Supreme Court Years, 1986-2001.
05:58 – Scalia to James Rosen: "You Are Right."
06:46 – 'The Rabbit'
18:41 – Scalia's tough transition from the DC Court of… pic.twitter.com/7voznDBFKe— Michael Patrick Leahy (@michaelpleahy) March 31, 2026
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Justice Antonin Scalia” by United States Mission Geneva. CC BY-ND 2.0.
