Trump Erupts at Justices He Appointed After SCOTUS Blocks Mail-Ballot Scheme: "Shell of Their Original Selves" (2026-09-15)

Hours after the Supreme Court's 7-2 rejection of his mail-ballot restrictions, Trump unleashed a late-night Truth Social attack on the justices he himself appointed: "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 called the ruling "another bad decision" by a court that has done "incalculable" damage to the country, and declared: "The Court's inability and unwillingness to do the right thing for our Country will go down, in a very negative way, in the annals of History. This Supreme Court is bullied and cajoled by the Radical Left into making decisions that have set America back at least a hundred years."

The tirade echoed his May 2026 rant against Gorsuch and Barrett after they ruled against his tariff program and appeared skeptical during birthright-citizenship arguments: "They were appointed by me, and yet have hurt our Country so badly!" he wrote then, adding "I should be the one wanting to PACK THE COURT!" He also attacked the justices in February 2026 after the 6-3 tariff ruling, saying he was "ashamed of certain members of the court." The September 14 ruling was issued by an unsigned emergency order with only Alito and Thomas dissenting; Kavanaugh joined the majority but signaled openness to the administration's position in future cases. AG Todd Blanche defended Trump's attacks on the court, saying the president's frustration "should" be communicated and claiming it did not undermine judicial independence. CNN noted the court's past partisan rulings — including Trump's own appointees — were the only reason the outcome was even in question.