Seung Min Kim, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump criticized the Supreme Court on Tuesday after it rejected his attempt to restrict mail-in voting for the upcoming midterm elections, stating that justices who opposed him were "not the people I interviewed."
Trump's comments followed the court's emergency order late Monday, which indicated that the proposed restrictions were unlikely to succeed in court for this year's election. The Trump administration had sought to involve the U.S. Postal Service in determining who could receive a ballot, but state election officials argued there was insufficient time to implement such changes before the November 3 elections, asserting that their systems were already secure and accurate.
In a lengthy social media post, Trump expressed his dissatisfaction, stating, "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." He further claimed that the Supreme Court was influenced by the "Radical Left" and that its decisions had regressed the country by at least a hundred years.
Justices Sam Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented from the ruling, and Trump referred to them as "legends both." He has nominated three justices to the Supreme Court: Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett, and Brett Kavanaugh. Trump remarked, "These are not the people I interviewed to serve on the United States Supreme Court; they are merely a shell of their original selves," and accused the court of costing the United States trillions of dollars through its rulings.
Trump has a history of publicly criticizing judges who rule against him, often expressing disappointment in those he appointed. Despite his criticisms, the court, led by Chief Justice John Roberts, has ruled in favor of Trump on several occasions, including a decision that granted former presidents presumptive immunity for official acts, allowing Trump to run for reelection without facing criminal trial.
Trump has consistently opposed mail voting and has attributed his 2020 election loss to it. A report by the Brookings Institution published in 2025 indicated that mail voting fraud occurred in approximately four cases for every 10 million mail ballots cast. Currently, about one-third of voters utilize mail ballots, and the Supreme Court's decision permits states to continue their established mail ballot processes.
On Tuesday, Trump also expressed frustration over the timing of the court's decision, stating, "It is not easy for me to write this criticism of the United States Supreme Court - it will likely cost me dearly for years to come - but I feel it my obligation and duty, as President, to do so for the America we love!"