Trump Criticizes Supreme Court Picks and Policy Decisions in TIME Interview

In a wide-ranging interview with TIME Magazine published earlier this month, former President Donald Trump expressed disappointment with the three Supreme Court justices he appointed—Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett. He argued that their rulings on tariffs, birthright citizenship, and other issues have “disastrous” consequences for the country. The interview also touched on his views regarding the ongoing war with Iran and extensive renovations at the White House.

New York Post

Trump’s criticism follows a pattern of public attacks on his judicial nominees that began after the justices voted against his proposed rules for mail-in voting.

New York Post

• Trump claimed that the Supreme Court’s ruling on birthright citizenship has turned the policy into “a major industry” that is “costing us trillions of dollars.”

New York Post

Trump asserted that the justices’ loyalty lies with former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden rather than with him, describing their collective voting pattern as “virtually never varying.” He emphasized that he seeks “good decisions” over loyalty, especially regarding the tariff ruling he labeled “disastrous.”

New York Post

On the Iran conflict, Trump stated that “by annihilating Iran, we’ve created peace in the world” and suggested that peace with Iran is unattainable, leaving open the possibility of further military action.

CNN

Regarding the White House, he portrayed the building as a “disgusting mess” that he has “fixed,” citing extensive renovations such as gilded interiors, a new marble ballroom, and a “Presidential Walk of Fame.” He declined to commit to any specific future action on the Kennedy Center, noting that any decision “will play out in court.”

CNN

• “I put them in. They voted against me too often,” — President Trump

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• “It’s unfortunate what they did—not to me, to our country. Birthright citizenship. It’s becoming a major industry now. People are making millions and millions of dollars, and we’re losing trillions of dollars,” — President Trump

New York Post

• “By annihilating Iran, we’ve created peace in the world,” — President Trump

CNN

• “It’s in terrible shape. I’d be willing to save it, but it’s in terrible, terrible shape. Only I can save it.” — President Trump

CNN

Trump indicated he might consider “preemptive pardons” for members of his administration before leaving office, echoing a practice previously employed by President Biden. No specific timeline or list of individuals was provided.

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• The exact financial impact of the birthright citizenship decision is presented as a “trillions of dollars” loss by Trump, while the Court’s ruling itself is a factual affirmation of citizenship rights; no independent estimate of the economic loss is offered.

New York Post

• Trump’s claim that annihilating Iran would create peace lacks corroborating evidence or a concrete policy plan, leaving the statement as an unverified projection.

CNN