Trump expresses private grievances about Amy Coney Barrett and other Supreme Court justices he appointed

Trump's Secret Gripes with His Supreme Court Picks

President Donald Trump has grumbled in private about his own Supreme Court justices - Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh - not standing firmly behind his political agenda, according to sources familiar with the discussions. Trump's ire is aimed primarily at Justice Barrett, his latest appointee, with one source adding that Trump's grievances are expansive [1][3][5].

For over a year, Trump's displeasure has been fueled by conservative allies who have advised him privately that Barrett seems "weak" and her rulings are out of step with how she portrayed herself during her nomination interview [5]. Trump's frustration extends to Gorsuch and Kavanaugh, too, as the sources claim [5].

"It's not a single ruling that's bugged him; it's been a few events he's complained about privately," a senior administration official revealed to CNN [5].

In a statement, principal deputy press secretary Harrison Fields said, "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. The President may disagree with the Court and some of its rulings, but he will always respect its foundational role."

A spokesperson for the Supreme Court did not respond to a request for comment.

Trump's public battle with the judiciary and the conservative legal establishment escalates with rulings that go against him. Last week, Trump lashed out at Federalist Society leader Leonard Leo for a ruling against his tariff plan [3].

Trump called Leo a "real 'sleazebag' ... a bad person, who in his own way, probably hates America" in a Truth Social post [3].

His ire against Barrett predates his more recent frustrations with judges he appointed. Conservatives were apoplectic in March after Barrett voted to block nearly $2 billion in foreign aid funded by President Trump [1]. The backlash from some Trump allies was swift, with one conservative legal commentator calling her a "rattled law professor with her head up her a**," while others referred to her as "DEI hire" and "evil" [1].

That criticism came in addition to a decision before the inauguration in January, which allowed Trump to be sentenced in his New York hush money case [3]. Barrett and Chief Justice John Roberts, a fellow conservative nominated by President George W. Bush, joined with the court's three liberals to make this decision [3]. At the time, Trump dismissed the ruling as "a fair decision," and he ultimately avoided penalty [3].

Last month, the Supreme Court divided 4-4 in a high-profile case, questioning whether a Catholic charter school in Oklahoma should be entitled to taxpayer funding [2]. Barrett recused herself from partaking in the case, citing personal ties to the lawyers representing the school. The even split left a ruling from Oklahoma's top court in place, finding the school unconstitutional [2].

"This seems to go beyond her duty to recuse," Carrie Severino, president of the conservative Judicial Crisis Network, posted on social media. "It could have harmful long-term consequences if other justices were to do the same."

Some of Trump's allies privately speculate that Barrett's rulings might have been influenced by threatening behavior and violence directed toward her family [3]. In March, her sister was targeted with a bomb threat at her home in Charleston, South Carolina, according to police [3]. Trump has questioned advisers and allies about Barrett's security needs and if providing her with more protection would make her more comfortable [3].

While Trump has privately voiced his displeasure with Barrett, a source close to Trump insists that he has no intentions of publicly attacking her [1]. In March, after Barrett voted against Trump's plan to cut foreign aid, Trump chose not to criticize her publicly, stating, "She's a very good woman. She's very smart, and I don't know about people attacking her, I really don't know" [1].

"He does truly respect the Supreme Court, so he doesn't want to torch any of his appointees," one senior White House official told CNN [1]. "He's called on them as a group to rein in the lower courts and do the right thing, but has intentionally not attacked any of the Justices by name."

Although these conservative justices may not have always supported Trump's agenda, they have consistently delivered conservative outcomes, voting to uphold his ban on transgender service members, end temporary deportation protections for Venezuelans, fire board members at independent agencies, and cut millions in education grants [3].

Barrett, a former law professor, appeals court judge, and author of an upcoming book, voted with the court's two most conservative justices, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, more than 80% of the time in the term that ended last year, according to data compiled by the Empirical SCOTUS blog [3].

Despite some perceived inconsistencies in Barrett's rulings, she still remains one of the most important justices to watch due to her occasional deviations from the more rigid conservatism embraced by Thomas and Alito [3]. A year ago, during the Supreme Court's hearing on whether to grant Trump sweeping immunity from criminal prosecution, Barrett was at the center of several compelling exchanges with Trump's attorney [3].

However, when the court's decision landed in July, Barrett ultimately sided with the court's conservatives to grant immunity to Trump [3].

The ongoing disagreements between President Donald Trump and his Supreme Court justices have expanded beyond just Amy Coney Barrett, as Trump's frustration also includes Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.
In the realm of general news, not only war-and-conflicts, policy-and-legislation, crime-and-justice, and car-accidents, but also politics, Trump's public battle with the judiciary and the conservative legal establishment has escalated due to rulings that go against him.
Accidents, in this case, don't refer to car accidents, but rather unexpected events such as the bomb threat encountered by Justice Amy Coney Barrett's sister in March, which has raised concerns among Trump's allies about potential influences on Barrett's rulings.
Amidst the controversy, Amy Coney Barrett remains one of the most important justices to watch, as she occasionally deviates from the more rigid conservatism of Thomas and Alito, even though she voted with them 80% of the time in the term that ended last year.