As a federal court rejected President Donald Trump’s administration’s appeal to reinstate his executive order Sunday, Trump warned the judicial system is putting the country at risk and should be blamed if “anything happens.”
“Just cannot believe a judge would put our country in such peril. If something happens blame him and court system. People pouring in. Bad!” Trump tweeted Sunday afternoon.
Just cannot believe a judge would put our country in such peril. If something happens blame him and court system. People pouring in. Bad!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 5, 2017
Trump’s criticism of federal judge James Robart as a “so-called judge” on Saturday was critiqued by several prominent Republicans Sunday, with Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell saying it was “best to avoid criticizing judges individually” on CNN, and Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse saying, “We don’t have any so-called judges, just real judges,” on ABC.
Trump’s comments on the judicial branch will likely increase scrutiny of his Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch, according to Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer.
In a second tweet, Trump once again defended his administration’s work enacting the order and blamed Robart and “the courts” for blocking it.
I have instructed Homeland Security to check people coming into our country VERY CAREFULLY. The courts are making the job very difficult!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 5, 2017
According to a Washington Post report, there was confusion over how the order would be implemented and who would be given clearance, though the accuracy of a particular column saying there was a confrontation between chief strategist Steve Bannon and Department of Homeland Security secretary John Kelly has since been disputed.
McClatchy will be compiling and providing links to fact checks of Trump’s tweets on merit throughout his presidency.
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