President Trump attacked Leonard Leo, a powerful Conservative legal activist, on Thursday night, saying the former federalist society leader once advised the president in the Supreme Court and chose a "bad guy" who "may hate America."
Mr. Trump slams most of his tariffs in Leo the day after a group of judges including Trump's appointment Illegal. The ruling was a Court of Appealwhich led Mr. Trump to some conservative lawyers: Two of the three judges who decided on the case were appointed by Republicans, a decision aimed at litigation, citing right-leaning legal theory.
The president later on Thursday attacked the three judges behind the ruling for the Truth Social Post, calling it a "terrible, state-threatening decision" and suggested it was made because the judge hated him. He then shifted his attention to Leo and federalism societies, two long pillars of the Conservative legal movement to help Mr. Trump choose. Hundreds of federal judges - Some of them ruled against his government.
"I am new to Washington and suggest that I use federalist society as a source of recommendation for judges," Mr. Trump wrote late Thursday night. "I did this, openly and freely, but then realized that they were the thumb of a real "Sleazebag" named Leonard Leo, a bad guy who might hate America in his own way and obviously had his own independent ambitions."
"I am very grateful to President Trump for changing the federal court, which is a privilege, a privilege involved," Leo said in a statement to politicians. "It is certain that there is more work to be done, but the federal judiciary is better than modern history, and this will be President Trump's most important legacy."
CBS News has been linked with Leo and Federalist Association.
Mr. Trump's attack on Leo and federalist society is shocking because of their years-long alliance with the president. During the 2016 campaign, Mr. Trump promised to listen to the right legal organization when making a judicial draft pick, saying in an interview: “We will have a great judge, conservative, all chosen by the federalist society.”
During Mr. Trump's first term, Leo advised the president in the Supreme Court draft pick, which forms a key part of the High Court's 6-3 conservative majority.
Leo talked to Mr. Trump shortly after Justice Anthony Kennedy retired in 2018 and opened a vacancy in court, filled by Brett Kavanaugh, Leo Tell CBS News then. Asked about how Mr. Trump decided to create a list of possible High Court nominees, Leo said the president “called to meet and suggested the idea of making a list.”
Mr. Trump actively talked about Leo during his first term. "We have a list, you work hard," the president said at a 2019 event.
But on Thursday, Mr. Trump said he was “disappointed with the federalist society because they provided me with a lot of bad advice on judicial nominations.”
Mr. Trump also noted that Leo “leaves federalist society to do their 'thing'," probably refers to the work of Leo and Tineo Network, a goal that is to - in Leo's words - from entertainment to finance, in other areas outside of law, "obsessed with the dominance of liberalism."
The president has repeatedly clashed with judges in recent months as part of his agenda, including tariffs and immigration policies, faces a counterattack from the federal judiciary.
In particular, tariffs could put one of Mr. Trump's trouble Signature Economic Policy Some legal theories supported by the conservative judicial movement. The lawsuit argues that Trump does not have the power to impose global tariffs, citing the doctrine of non-propaganda and the doctrine of the main problem, two legal concepts that were right-leaning members of the Supreme Court (including those chosen by Mr. Trump) have been accepted for years.