'Judges want to assume...': Trump criticises judiciary, demands Supreme Court end nationwide injunctions

Trump urges Supreme Court to curb nationwide injunctions on policies.

Former President Donald Trump lashed out at the U.S. judiciary on Thursday, calling on the Supreme Court to limit federal judges' ability to impose nationwide injunctions that block his administration’s policies. His comments come amid mounting legal battles over his executive actions, particularly on immigration.

Federal courts are currently reviewing over 100 lawsuits challenging Trump’s policies since his return to office in January. Some judges have imposed nationwide injunctions, including one blocking his efforts to curtail automatic birthright citizenship.

"STOP NATIONWIDE INJUNCTIONS NOW, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE," Trump wrote in a social media post. "If Justice Roberts and the United States Supreme Court do not fix this toxic and unprecedented situation IMMEDIATELY, our Country is in very serious trouble!"

With a 6-3 conservative majority in the Supreme Court—including three justices appointed by Trump—his administration is pressing for a rollback of judicial limits on his policies. On March 13, Justice Department lawyers formally asked the justices to narrow judicial blocks on Trump's birthright citizenship order, challenging three nationwide injunctions issued by federal judges in Washington state, Massachusetts, and Maryland.

Trump’s criticism of the judiciary comes just days after a public rebuke from Chief Justice John Roberts. The president had previously called for the impeachment of a federal judge handling a case related to deportation flights for Venezuelan gang suspects.

Roberts responded by reaffirming judicial independence: "For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision." He stated that filing an appeal was the appropriate course of action.

While Trump frames nationwide injunctions as a partisan tool against him, such judicial actions have also affected previous administrations. His predecessor, Democratic President Joe Biden, faced similar legal challenges, including a nationwide injunction that blocked his $430 billion student loan forgiveness plan—an initiative later struck down by the Supreme Court.

The growing tensions between Trump and the judiciary reflect a broader struggle over executive power and the role of courts in shaping policy. As legal battles continue, the Supreme Court’s response to Trump’s demands could have significant implications for the future balance of power between the presidency and the judiciary.