Full Breakdown
Trump Labels His Supreme Court Appointees “Disloyal” as New Term Begins
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: President Trump’s Public Accusations
As the Supreme Court opens its new term on October 3, President Donald Trump reiterated that the three justices he appointed—Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett—have betrayed him. In a recent interview, he said they “vote against me too often” and called them “an embarrassment to their families.”
Background & Context
Gorsuch (2017), Kavanaugh (2018) and Barrett (2020) were confirmed to cement a conservative majority. Since the start of 2025, the Court has issued a string of rulings that run counter to Trump’s agenda, including striking down his tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, overturning his executive order ending birthright citizenship, and limiting his ability to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. The president has repeatedly framed these decisions as personal betrayals, even labeling Barrett and Gorsuch “an embarrassment to their families” after the tariffs case.
Data & Statistics
- Barrett voted against the administration in seven of ten major cases examined by Newsweek.
- Kavanaugh opposed Trump in five of those cases.
- Gorsuch voted against the administration in three cases.
- The Brennan Center counted 32 emergency rulings involving Trump’s policies since January 2025; the administration prevailed in 24 (about 75 %).
Verbatim Quotes
- “They voted against me too often. I gave them the position of a lifetime, and they vote against me often. They vote for me too,” — Donald Trump, president
- “My new hero is United States Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh,” — Donald Trump, president
- “Two of the people that voted for that, I appointed, and they sicken me,” — Donald Trump, president
- “They have been waiting for a long time to be in the position,” — Kevin McMahon, a political science professor at Trinity College in Connecticut
Why It Matters
Trump’s criticism has amplified public debate over the Court’s legitimacy. Constitutional law scholar Aziz Huq noted that “it’s just very hard to be a national institution these days that maintains public trust.” Meanwhile, Yale Law professor Justin Driver observed that the Court is perceived differently across the political spectrum: “Where liberals view the Supreme Court as handing President Trump a great deal of power, some right-of-center observers are going to perceive the court as hobbling President Trump and his political agenda.” These divergent views underscore the heightened scrutiny the Court faces as it tackles cases that could reshape immigration, voting, gun rights and climate liability.
Timeline
- October 3 – New Supreme Court term begins.
- December 2 – Arguments scheduled on whether states may ban AR-15-style rifles.
- December 8 (scheduled) – Oral argument in *RNC v. Mi Familia Vota* on Arizona’s proof-of-citizenship voter-registration rule.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The Newsweek analysis provides specific vote counts for the three Trump appointees, but other outlets do not publish comparable tallies, leaving a gap in independent verification of those numbers. No source offers a comprehensive breakdown of how often the justices have sided with the administration on issues outside the highlighted cases.