Republican senators defended the Supreme Court and Federal Reserve last week following public criticism from President Donald Trump. The president’s comments came after the Supreme Court declined to allow his administration to implement a plan for the U.S. Postal Service to screen mail-in ballots to guard against noncitizens voting. President Trump criticized the justices he appointed—Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett—stating on Truth Social that they were "merely a shell of their original selves" and had been "bullied and cajoled by the Radical Left."
The administration's plan would have required states to use special election mail envelopes with unique bar codes that would be scanned by the Postal Service. In a brief ruling, a majority of the court blocked the plan, with Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas siding with the president. Justice Kavanaugh wrote in a concurring opinion that while the administration might have a "fair prospect" of winning on appeal in the future, attempting to rework the process seven weeks before the election would be "arbitrary and capricious."
Senate Republicans, including John Kennedy (R-LA) and John Cornyn (R-TX), rebuffed the president’s assessment of the court. Sen. Kennedy stated that the justices "do their very best to call it like they see it," while Sen. Cornyn called an independent judiciary "the most important institution in our government." Sen. Cornyn further noted that the proposed screening process would have caused "chaos" so close to Election Day. In an appearance at the University of Virginia on Thursday, Sept. 17, Justice Barrett declined to comment specifically on the president’s statements but noted a climate where "people are quick to say things" she wished they would not.
The friction also extends to the Federal Reserve. After the central bank raised interest rates to between 3.75% and 4% on Wednesday, Sept. 16, President Trump called for rates to be 1% or less and described board members as "very political." Republican senators, including Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), defended the Fed’s independence. They argued that the central bank was fulfilling its mission to keep inflation in check.
In the legal arena, the Justice Department is moving to expand the impact of recent Supreme Court precedents. On Friday, Sept. 18, the DOJ argued that a June ruling allowing the president to fire executive agency heads should also apply to "inferior officers," citing the case of former federal prosecutor Maurene Comey. Additionally, the DOJ issued a non-binding opinion stating that a federal ban on handgun sales to 18-to-20-year-olds is unconstitutional. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hold its "long conference" on Monday, Sept. 28, where justices will decide which petitions to hear for the upcoming term.