On Friday, President Donald Trump publicly praised three Supreme Court Justices who dissented in the recent ruling against his tariff policies.
The president, 79, called Justices Brett Kavanaugh, 61, Clarence Thomas, 77, and Samuel Alito, 75, his “new heroes,” after the Court struck down his previous tariffs in a 6-3 decision, labeling them illegal. Trump described the majority justices as “disloyal to our Constitution” and “lapdogs,” while praising the dissenters for supporting his vision to “Make America Great Again.”
Trump shared his comments on Truth Social, writing, “My new hero is United States Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and, of course, Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. There is no doubt in anyone's mind that they want to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
The remarks drew criticism from viewers and commentators alike. Many expressed concern that labeling sitting justices as personal “heroes” based on their rulings undermines judicial independence.
One user on X (formerly Twitter) commented, “Calling Supreme Court justices your heroes based on how they rule in your favor is a little unsettling. Those seats are supposed to be about the Constitution, not any one president’s agenda.” Another wrote, “The moment the court becomes a campaign team, democracy becomes a fan club.”
Several others echoed similar concerns, noting that the president’s comments suggested a misunderstanding of the judicial system. One critic pointed out, “Publicly signaling preferences toward specific justices before they sided with you undermines the very idea of judicial independence. Even if personal views exist, restraint and respect for institutional boundaries should prevail.” Another added, “Why praise judges who are just following the law? Sometimes America is pure show.”
The day after the ruling, Trump announced plans to impose global tariffs of 15% the maximum allowed under a rarely used trade law. These tariffs are set to take effect on February 24 and can remain in place for roughly five months before requiring congressional approval.
In his statement on Truth Social, the president framed the move as a response to the Court’s “ridiculous, poorly written, and extraordinarily anti-American decision on Tariffs issued yesterday.” He wrote, “I, as President of the United States of America, will be, effective immediately, raising the 10% Worldwide Tariff on Countries, many of which have been 'ripping' the U.S. off for decades, without retribution (until I came along!), to the fully allowed, and legally tested, 15% level. During the next short number of months, the Trump Administration will determine and issue the new and legally permissible Tariffs, which will continue our extraordinarily successful process of Making America Great Again—GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE!!!”
0 Comments