President Donald Trump on Tuesday publicly attacked the Supreme Court justices he nominated, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett, after the court rejected his administration's attempt to restrict mail-in voting for the upcoming midterm elections. Trump expressed his dissatisfaction on social media, stating that "These are not the people I interviewed to serve on the United States Supreme Court, they are merely a shell of their original selves." He further claimed that the court was being "bullied and cajoled by the Radical Left" and that its decisions were "costing the United States Trillions of Dollars."
The specific ruling that drew Trump's ire was an emergency order issued by the court on Monday, which effectively blocked his last-minute push to involve the U.S. Postal Service in vetting mail ballots, a plan that state election officials argued there wasn't enough time to implement. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented from this order, earning Trump's praise as "legends both." This incident adds to a history of Trump criticizing justices, including his own appointees, when their rulings did not align with his administration's objectives, such as decisions regarding birthright citizenship and his tariff authority.
Attorney General Todd Blanche later defended Trump's statements, though the details of his defense were not specified in the available information. Trump's frustration with the court's perceived shift against his policies has been building, despite the court having ruled in his favor on other key issues, most notably a 2024 decision granting former presidents presumptive immunity for official acts. Trump has long held the belief that his judicial appointments should demonstrate loyalty to him.
Trump's broader opposition to mail-in voting stems from his false claims that it contributed to his 2020 election loss, despite a 2025 Brookings Institution report finding that mail voting fraud occurred in only about four cases out of every 10 million mail ballots cast. The Supreme Court's latest decision ensures that states can continue their established processes for sending out mail ballots, which are utilized by roughly a third of voters.
In his social media post, Trump acknowledged that his criticism of the Supreme Court might "cost me dearly for years to come" but insisted it was his "obligation and duty, as President, to do so for the America we love!" He also complained about the time it took for the court to issue its decision, suggesting that the delay itself was problematic.
