United States President Donald Trump has criticised the Supreme Court after the justices blocked his administration’s attempt to impose new restrictions on mail-in voting ahead of the November midterm elections.
Trump, in a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday, accused some members of the court of giving in to pressure from Democrats and described the ruling as “horrible” and “highly political.”
The president also took aim at three Supreme Court justices he appointed during his first term — Amy Coney Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch.
“These are not the people I interviewed to serve on the United States Supreme Court,” Trump said, accusing the justices of failing to deliver decisions he expected.
The Supreme Court has a 6-3 conservative majority, with Trump’s three appointees among the six conservative justices.
Supreme Court Blocks Mail Ballot Rule
The dispute centres on a Trump executive order issued in March seeking to tighten rules governing mail-in ballots.
Under the plan, states would have been required to provide lists of eligible voters, while the US Postal Service would have delivered ballots only to voters appearing on those lists.
The administration also sought to introduce additional requirements for mail-in ballots.
The plan faced legal challenges from states and voting-rights groups. A federal judge blocked implementation, and the Supreme Court on Monday declined the administration’s request to lift that order.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh agreed with the majority but said the administration’s proposed rule might ultimately be lawful.
However, he said state and local election officials did not have enough time to implement it properly before the elections.
Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito were the only members of the conservative bloc to dissent, according to the report.
Trump Defends Mail Vote Restrictions
Trump has repeatedly criticised mail-in voting and claimed, without evidence, that the system is vulnerable to fraud. He has also blamed mail ballots for his defeat by Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.
Despite his criticism of the system, Trump has used mail-in voting himself, including during Florida’s Republican primary last month.
Attorney General Todd Blanche defended Trump’s criticism of the Supreme Court, saying the president was frustrated and had the right to express his concerns.
Blanche also said the administration could continue pursuing changes to mail-in voting despite the Supreme Court ruling.
Democrats Welcome Ruling
Democratic lawmakers welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticised Trump’s proposal and said the court had rejected what he described as an unconstitutional plan.
The dispute comes less than two months before the November 3 midterm elections, when Americans will vote in contests that will determine control of Congress.
The Supreme Court ruling means the Trump administration cannot implement the disputed postal voting restrictions before the upcoming elections while the legal challenges continue.
