Friend,
Donald Trump is four months into his second term, and Republicans are escalating their assault on one of the last institutions still doing its constitutional duty – the courts.
Federal courts have been doing what they are supposed to do: interpreting the law, enforcing the Constitution, and acting as a check on presidential power.
That hasn’t gone over well with Trump.
In a study released last week of cases decided so far in May of this year, for example, federal courts ruled against the Trump administration in 26 of 27 cases – a staggering 96% loss rate.[1] This isn’t partisan resistance; it’s the rule of law in action. The opposition to Trump administration positions in these cases came roughly equally from judges appointed by both Republican and Democratic presidents.[2] That’s how extreme and unlawful Trump’s agenda has become.
Instead of adjusting course, Trump’s MAGA collaborators in Congress are trying to break the courts entirely.
They just slipped a provision into the latest House budget bill that would severely limit judges’ ability to hold administration officials in contempt when they violate court orders. This would give Trump a free ticket to defy the courts.
It’s a direct, calculated attack on judicial independence.
And they’re not stopping at rewriting the rules – they’ve been targeting judges who rule against them personally for months.
The most recent example? After a panel of federal judges – appointed by Reagan, Obama, and even Trump himself – ruled that the president lacked authority to impose sweeping global tariffs, Trump’s inner circle lashed out. His top policy adviser, Stephen Miller, accused the judiciary of “tyranny” and circulated personal bios of the judges.[3] White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt went even further, calling the ruling “judicial overreach” and accusing the judges of “brazenly abusing their judicial power.”[4]
Earlier this month, Trump himself reposted a suggestion that he release terrorists near the homes of Supreme Court justices who had ruled against him.[5]
This isn’t just rhetoric. It’s a coordinated effort to delegitimize and intimidate any court that refuses to serve as a rubber stamp.
We’re fighting back. But to stay in this fight, we need to raise $13,719 by midnight tonight or we’ll fall short of our goal and the resources necessary to fight back at full strength. Donate now to help stop the GOP’s court sabotage. >>
And there’s more.
Next week, the Senate begins confirmation hearings on Trump’s first slate of second-term judicial nominees. Trump isn’t looking for impartial legal minds. He wants political enforcers – handpicked to advance Trump’s agenda and shield him from accountability.
Like his newest nominee, Emil Bove, a former personal attorney of Trump’s. He’s been described by the New York Times as “the main enforcer of President Trump’s demands for retribution and unimpeded control of federal law enforcement.” Bove is such an extreme nominee one well-known conservative legal scholar described the nomination as “very bad news.”[6]
Another nominee, Whitney Hermandorfer, has been involved in legal efforts aimed at restricting access to reproductive health care, challenging birthright citizenship, and opposing protections for LGBTQ people.[7]
These are collaborators, not guardians of justice – and Republicans are rushing to confirm them.
We’re working around the clock to stop this. We’re briefing senators, rallying public opposition, and pushing back hard. But we need your help.
If Trump succeeds, the courts won’t be a check on power. They’ll be a tool of it.
Thank you for your support,
People For the American Way
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Sources:
[1] "The 96% Rebellion: District Courts Mount Historic Resistance, But the Supreme Court Looms" On Data and Democracy, 11/24/25
[2] "May 27, 2025" Letters from an American, 5/28/25
[3] "Trump administration escalates attacks on judges" Axios, 5/29/25
[4] "Karoline Leavitt Says Judges Shouldn’t Have Power Over Trump" The New Republic, 5/29/25
[5] Favreau, Jon (@jonfavs) "The President re-posts a suggestion from an adviser that he release “terrorists” near the homes of Supreme Court justices who’ve merely ruled that the government can’t send people to a foreign gulag without due process" https://act.pfaw.org/go/95901?t=11&akid=49165%2E3924017%2EwjNaG7 X, 5/17/25
[6] "‘Very Bad News’: Conservative Legal Scholar Slams Trump Considering His Ex-Lawyer to be a Federal Judge" Mediaite, 5/19/25
[7] "Trump’s First Judicial Nominee Signals Dangerous Direction for Federal Judiciary" The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, 5/2/25
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