Trump Rages at Supreme Court Justices He Appointed for Ruling Against His Tariffs and Birthright Citizenship Plan

Former President Donald Trump launched a blistering attack on two Supreme Court justices he personally appointed, Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, accusing them of betraying him and the country by ruling against his executive order on reciprocal tariffs. Writing on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump expressed disbelief and anger that these justices did not “remain true” to him or his agenda.

Trump lamented that their February ruling blocking his tariffs program forced the United States to pay back $159 billion to foreign entities, which he described as “enemies” and “people, companies, and Countries, that have been ripping us off for years.” He suggested the justices could have avoided this outcome with a simple sentence exempting the U.S. from repaying any collected money, questioning why they did not do so.

The former president’s grievances extended beyond the tariffs case. He also fretted over the Supreme Court potentially ruling against his bid to end birthright citizenship, warning that such a decision would leave the U.S. “the only Country in the World that practices this unsustainable, unsafe, and incredibly costly DISASTER.” Despite his professed disdain for loyalty demands, Trump paradoxically insisted he expects justices to be loyal “for our Country,” implying that Gorsuch and Barrett have failed in this regard.

Trump contrasted the behavior of Republican-appointed justices with Democratic ones, claiming Democrats “always remain true” to those who appointed them, while Republicans “often go out of their way to oppose me” to prove their independence. This accusation exposes a dangerous misunderstanding of judicial independence, suggesting Trump views the Supreme Court as a political tool rather than a nonpartisan institution.

His criticism was not limited to private frustration. After the tariffs ruling, Trump called the conservative majority “fools and lapdogs for the RINOS and the radical left Democrats,” labeling Gorsuch and Barrett “an embarrassment to their families.” This public shaming of justices appointed by himself underscores his intolerance for any judicial decisions that do not align with his interests.

Beyond the court, Trump’s Sunday social media barrage included attacks on Fox News for interviewing Democratic Representative Ro Khanna, whom Trump derided as a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” and accused of lying. This pattern of demanding absolute loyalty from allies and media alike fits a broader authoritarian playbook aimed at controlling narratives and punishing dissent.

Trump’s rant is more than a personal grievance; it is a warning shot about the fragility of judicial independence under his influence. His expectation that justices act as loyalists rather than impartial referees threatens the foundational principle of checks and balances essential to American democracy. As Trump campaigns for 2024, his attacks on the Supreme Court reveal a troubling willingness to undermine institutions that stand in the way of his agenda, putting democratic norms at risk.