Did Trump Really Get Reprimanded by Gorsuch?

CBN
02-09-2017

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President Donald Trump has delivered more strong words aimed at federal judges over his presidential order on immigration.

The president's statement came as the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals considers his temporary travel ban on seven Muslim-majority countries with a history of terrorism: Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen.

"I don't ever want to call a court biased, so I won't call it biased. And we haven't had a decision yet. But courts seem to be so political," Trump said.

"It would be so great for our justice system if they would be able to read a statement and do what's right," he added. "And that has to do with the security of our country, which is so important."

The president recently also criticized the lower court judge who put the travel ban on hold, labeling him a "so-called judge" and referred to the ruling as "ridiculous."

Trump isn't the first president to publicly confront the judiciary. In 2012, President Barack Obama tried to coerce the Supreme Court into approving Obamacare.

"I am confident that the Supreme Court will not take what would be an unprecedented, extraordinary step of overturning a law that was passed by a strong majority of a democratically elected Congress," Obama said at that time.

Meanwhile, Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal says Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Judge Neil Gorsuch, told him the president's criticism of judges is "demoralizing and disheartening."

Trump is now arguing that Blumenthal misrepresented Gorsuch, bringing up some of Blumenthal's past misstatements.

"Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who never fought in Vietnam when he said for years he had (major lie), now misrepresents what Judge Gorsuch told him?" the president tweeted Thursday.

Former Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H.,who is helping with Gorsuch's confirmation, was at that meeting. She issued a statement saying Gorsuch made clear he was not referring to any specific case.

But she said the nominee did say he finds any criticism of a judge's integrity and independence to be "disheartening and demoralizing."

Despite the immigration order's political and legal controversy, a new poll from Politico shows the public supports Trump's action on immigration.

Fifty-five percent approve of the order, while just 38 percent disapprove.

President Trump's travel ban actually applies to the same seven countries that President Obama targeted in 2015.

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