Not accepting defeat, Trump insults Supreme Court judge

Viralterkini.id – United States President Donald Trump expressed his disappointment with the Supreme Court decision that overturned his flagship global tariff policy.

On Friday (20/2/2026), he openly expressed his displeasure because the two judges he appointed actually opposed the policy.

Trump viewed the decision as embarrassing. He even called the behavior of Judges Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch a “disgrace to their family.”

The two joined Chief Justice John Roberts and three liberal justices in a 6-3 ruling that said the tariffs exceeded the president’s authority.

Personal Attacks on Liberal Judges

Apart from that, Trump also criticized three liberal judges, namely Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson. He called them “a disgrace to the nation.”

Not stopping there, Trump also criticized the plaintiffs—a family company that makes educational toys—calling them “immoral people.”

This kind of strong language style is in line with Trump’s political communication character which is often liked by his supporter base.

However, many observers considered this attack to be unusual because it directly targeted the judiciary as a branch of power that should be independent.

Criticism of Legal Academics

The Dean of the University of California Berkeley School of Law, Erwin Chemerinsky, considered Trump’s statement very unusual in American political tradition.

“I can’t imagine any other president speaking about the Supreme Court in this way,” he said.

According to Chemerinsky, Trump’s stance reflects the expectation that judges, especially those he appoints, should always support his policies.

Conflict Patterns with Old Allies

History shows that Trump often clashes with figures who were previously his allies. He once strongly criticized Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, even though he himself appointed Powell.

Apart from that, Trump also clashed with Republican Party politician Marjorie Taylor Greene over a number of controversial issues.

On the other hand, Trump continued to praise judges who supported him, such as Brett Kavanaugh, Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas. He called them figures who had “strength, wisdom and love for the country.”

Allegations of Foreign Political Influence

Trump even accused judges who opposed his policies of being influenced by the Democratic Party and foreign interests, not by the law.

“They act like puppets,” he said. “They are unpatriotic and unfaithful to the Constitution.”

Shifting Political Norms

Former Republican Governor of North Carolina, Pat McCrory, believes that open criticism of the Supreme Court has become a trend since the era of President Barack Obama.

“Previously that was considered a big change. Now, Trump’s comments make the situation even more extreme,” he said. He believes that both Republicans and Democrats are increasingly respecting the judiciary.

Warning from Conservative Pundits

Conservative legal expert John Yoo, who served in the Justice Department under President George W Bush, said Trump’s remarks risked self-defeating.

In an interview with Fox News, Yoo said Trump’s legal team might be worried because there are still many big cases to be decided by the Supreme Court, including the question of the president’s authority to fire independent officials.

Tensions Ahead of the State of the Union Address

Trump is scheduled to meet directly with Supreme Court justices when delivering his State of the Union address to Congress next Tuesday. Usually, judges are present as a symbol of the neutrality of the judiciary.

But when asked whether they would still be invited, Trump answered simply, “Hardly.” The statement further underscores the increasingly strained relationship between the White House and the Supreme Court. (**)