White House says judges balking at Trump's actions are provoking a 'constitutional crisis'
The White House said Wednesday that court rulings going against the Trump administration are coming from 鈥渏udicial activists鈥� on the bench whose decisions amount to a "constitutional crisis.鈥�
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt made the comments as she pushed back against critics of Republican President Donald Trump's expansive actions slashing the government workforce and federal spending.
鈥淲e believe these judges are acting as judicial activists rather than honest arbiters of the law," Leavitt said.
Trump鈥檚 moves in the first weeks of his second term to overhaul the federal government and fulfill his campaign promises have been met with more than 50 lawsuits, with judges blocking some of his administration's moves at least temporarily. Top administration officials have responded by attacking the legitimacy of judicial oversight, one of the foundations of America鈥檚 democracy which is based on the separation of powers.
The focus on the courts has intensified as the other long-standing check on the presidency, the Congress, is Republican-controlled and has largely gone along with Trump's unilateral actions, including his firing of government watchdogs.
When asked Wednesday if the White House believes the courts have the authority to issue nationwide injunctions to Trump's orders, Leavitt said the rulings 鈥渉ave no basis in the law鈥� and 鈥渉ave no grounds." She said the White House would comply with the courts but believed the administration would 鈥渦ltimately be vindicated.鈥�
鈥淭his is part of a larger, concerted effort by Democrat activists, and nothing more than the continuation of the weaponization of justice against President Trump,鈥� Leavitt said, referring to Trump's personal legal challenges, including the criminal trial in New York in which he was convicted last year.
Judges have blocked, at least temporarily, his effort to end birthright citizenship, permit access to Treasury Department records by billionaire Elon Musk鈥檚 so-called Department of Government Efficiency and roll out a mass deferred resignation plan for federal workers.
Musk, the world鈥檚 richest man who has been given far-reaching powers by Trump to shrink the federal government, has posted on social media that judges who rule against the administration should be impeached.
鈥淎 corrupt judge protecting corruption. He needs to be impeached NOW!鈥� Musk wrote about the judge in the Treasury Department case. Vice President JD Vance said Sunday on X, 鈥� If a judge tried to tell a general how to conduct a military operation, that would be illegal. If a judge tried to command the attorney general in how to use her discretion as a prosecutor, that鈥檚 also illegal. Judges aren鈥檛 allowed to control the executive鈥檚 legitimate power.鈥�
As court cases pile up, questions have arisen about whether Trump, pushing to expand the limits of presidential power, would comply with court rulings.
Trump on Tuesday said he would, but suggested he would consider some kind of response to the judges and called their actions a 鈥渧iolation.鈥�
鈥淚t seems hard to believe that a judge could say, 鈥榃e don鈥檛 want you to do that.鈥� So maybe we have to look at the judges because that鈥檚 very serious, I think it鈥檚 a very serious violation," Trump said.
Leavitt made clear that Trump's team will also "seek every legal remedy to ultimately overturn these radical injunctions and ensure President Trump鈥檚 policies can be enacted,鈥� she said.
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Price reported from New York.