The Supreme Court justices nominated by President Donald Trump are now reportedly the latest targets in his ongoing campaign of grievances against the judiciary.
Trump has been privately expressing frustration with the justices he appointed, particularly Justice Amy Coney Barrett, according to a CNN report citing multiple sources familiar with the matter. The network reports that Trump has repeatedly complained that his nominees have not shown sufficient loyalty to him or his political agenda.
CNN’s sources say the complaints have gone on for at least a year and extend beyond Barrett to Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch. But Barrett, whom Trump nominated in 2020 to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, has drawn the most criticism.
“It’s not just one ruling,” a senior administration official told CNN. “It’s been a few different events he’s complained about privately.”
The backlash has been building in MAGA circles for some time. After Barrett joined a 5-4 majority to require the Trump administration to release nearly $2 billion in frozen foreign aid funds in March, right-wing commentator Mike Cernovich called her “evil” and said that she had been “chosen solely because she checked identity politics boxes.” In January, former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon said Barrett was a “disgrace” and called on her to step down.
Despite some high-profile disagreements, Barrett has voted with Justices Samuel Alito and Clarenence Thomas, the two most conservative members of the bench, more than 80% of the time, according to the Empirical SCOTUS blog
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CNN reports that the president prefers to keep his frustrations private for the time being, even as he has recently lashed out at other elements of the conservative judicial establishment.
“President Trump will always stand with the U.S. Supreme Court, unlike the Democrat Party, which, if given the opportunity, would pack the court, ultimately undermining its integrity,” principal deputy press secretary Harrison Fields said in a statement to CNN. “The President may disagree with the Court and some of its rulings, but he will always respect its foundational role.”
