One group of people is hearing a different message from the Trump administration than most Americans: the nation’s judges. The disparities have emerged across a range of lawsuits and issues amid President Donald Trump’s aggressive political agenda.
“You’re saying one thing in public. You’re saying a different thing in court,” Judge Ana Reyes, a Joe Biden appointee, told Justice Department lawyers last month in a case over the administration’s policy aiming to bar transgender members from the military. She added: “The court is not going to be gaslit.”
In court, lawyers and administration officials often try to minimize the impact of the administration’s most controversial actions and paint them as firmly within legal bounds. Their careful, sworn statements are a sharp contrast with Trump’s unfettered public messaging as he pushes the limits of executive power.
But those measured court statements aren’t what most people see. Trump has the mouthpiece of the presidency and millions of followers online, and his top aides routinely tout his policies on television. And Trump has publicly bashed judges who have ruled against him and suggested the judiciary should not have authority over a range of policy issues.
The White House defended its approach.
“The president and his administration are united in delivering on the promises he made on the campaign trail,” White House spokesperson Harrison Fields said in a statement. “From deporting illegal criminal migrants at record speed to working toward world peace, protecting American sovereignty through bold tariff moves, and more, every member of the administration is committed to achieving these historic accomplishments despite lawsuits and rulings from activist judges.”
Here’s a look at how the Trump administration’s rhetoric has contrasted with its court arguments.
