President Donald Trump on Wednesday escalated his criticism of the judiciary, hours after Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts delivered a rare rebuke of the President’s rhetoric about a judge appointed under the Obama administration.
“Sorry Chief Justice John Roberts, but you do indeed have ‘Obama judges,’ and they have a much different point of view than the people who are charged with the safety of our country,” Trump said in tweets Wednesday afternoon. “It would be great if the 9th Circuit was indeed an ‘independent judiciary,’ but if it is why are so many opposing view (on Border and Safety) cases filed there, and why are a vast number of those cases overturned.”
“Please study the numbers, they are shocking,” Trump added. “We need protection and security – these rulings are making our country unsafe! Very dangerous and unwise!”
Trump has lashed out at decisions by federal judges before, claiming they were politically motivated. But Wednesday’s exchange marked the first time Roberts has publicly critiqued Trump.
“We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges. What we have is an extraordinary group of dedicated judges doing their level best to do equal right to those appearing before them,” Roberts said in a statement earlier Wednesday. “The independent judiciary is something we should all be thankful for.”
Trump’s criticism of an “Obama judge” followed a ruling by U.S. District Judge Jon S. Tigar on Monday. Tigar, who was appointed by Obama in 2012, temporarily blocked the Trump Administration from denying asylum to immigrants crossing the southern border illegally.
In a proclamation issued earlier this month, Trump said anyone crossing the southern border illegally would be ineligible for asylum. The order quickly drew legal challenges, as existing law states that anyone is eligible to apply for asylum, even if they enter the country illegally.
