President Donald Trump escalated his public pressure campaign against the judiciary on Sunday, unleashing a blistering post on Truth Social targeting two of his own Supreme Court appointees—Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch—over a February ruling that blocked his tariff agenda.
“They were appointed by me, and yet have hurt our Country so badly! I do not believe they meant to do so, but their decision on Tariffs cost the United States 159 Billion Dollars that we have to pay back to enemies, and people, companies, and Countries, that have been ripping us off for years,” Trump wrote. “It’s hardly believable!”
The high court ruled 6-3 in February that Trump’s use of an emergency statute to impose higher trade rates was unlawful, ordering the government to refund duties collected from importers. Customs and Border Protection identified over 330,000 importers who paid the tariffs, and Trump had previously warned he would “remember” companies that did not request refunds.
In his latest broadside, Trump questioned why the justices mandated repayment and framed the decision as a betrayal. “I’m working so hard to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, and then people that I appointed have shown so little respect to our Country, and its people. What is the reason for this?” he wrote. He added that it is “really OK for them to be loyal to the person that appointed them to ‘almost’ the highest position in the land.”
The president’s attack comes amid a broader pattern of clashes with the judiciary over his trade policies and executive actions. His administration has also pushed a tightened “Buy American” directive and sought to reshape federal procurement, but the tariff ruling has become a flashpoint. Analysts have noted that Trump’s willingness to publicly scold his own appointees reflects a deepening expectation of personal loyalty from the bench.
Trump closed his post by urging the Supreme Court not to strike down his executive order ending birthright citizenship. “Well, maybe Neil, and Amy, just had a really bad day, but our Country can only handle so many decisions of that magnitude before it breaks down, and cracks!!! Sometimes decisions have to be allowed to use Good, Strong, Common Sense as a guide,” he wrote. He warned that “a negative ruling on Birthright Citizenship, on top of the recent Supreme Court Tariff catastrophe, is not Economically sustainable for the United States of America.”
The broadside has reignited debate over judicial independence, with critics arguing that Trump’s comments undermine the rule of law. Supporters counter that the president is merely voicing frustration with rulings that hinder his economic agenda. The shift toward a more interventionist economic stance has already drawn scrutiny from conservatives, and the tariff fight adds another layer of tension.
Neither Justice Barrett nor Justice Gorsuch has responded publicly to Trump’s remarks, and the Supreme Court declined to comment. The justices are expected to rule on the birthright citizenship case later this term, a decision that could further inflame the already strained relationship between the White House and the judiciary.
