Trump goes after Leonard Leo and the Federalist Society in fury over court ruling – Politico
President Donald Trump’s over-the-top trashing of Leonard Leo, a devout Catholic, as a “sleazebag” could further sour the president’s relationship with some longtime legal conservatives. | Andrew Harnik / Getty ImagesTrump goes after Leonard Leo and the Federalist Society in fury over court ruling
Trump’s attack came after the U.S. Court of International Trade struck down his tariffs, a blow to the primary pillar of his economic agenda.
By Gregory Svirnovskiy and Josh Gerstein, 05/29/2025 10:13 PM EDT
President Donald Trump leveled unusually pointed criticism of a prominent conservative legal activist and organization Thursday as he railed against a ruling that struck down his sweeping tariffs.
The president, in a post on his social media platform, slammed Leonard Leo, the former chair of the Federalist Society, calling him a “sleazebag” who “probably hates America.
It was a striking characterization of Leo, who played a key role in working with Trump to shape the conservative Supreme Court.
“He openly brags how he controls Judges, and even Justices of the United States Supreme Court — I hope that is not so, and don’t believe it is!,” Trump wrote.
Trump’s attack came after the U.S. Court of International Trade on Wednesday struck down his tariffs, a massive blow to the primary pillar of the administration’s economic agenda. The ruling was temporarily stayed by an appellate court on Thursday. One of the judges on the three-person panel that blocked the tariffs is Timothy Reif, who was appointed by Trump in his first term.
The blame, Trump said, lay with the Federalist Society.
“I am so disappointed in The Federalist Society because of the bad advice they gave me on numerous Judicial Nominations,” he wrote. “This is something that cannot be forgotten!”
Leo, in a brief statement in response, did not criticize the president.
“I’m very grateful for President Trump transforming the Federal Courts, and it was a privilege being involved,” Leo said. “There’s more work to be done, for sure, but the Federal Judiciary is better than it’s ever been in modern history, and that will be President Trump’s most important legacy.”
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