Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s comments during oral arguments on Thursday drew sharp criticism from some in the MAGA movement, with critics online claiming President Donald Trump made a “huge mistake” by appointing her to the Court.
The justices were hearing a case centered on whether lower courts have the authority to block Trump’s executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship, granting automatic U.S. citizenship to children born on American soil, regardless of their parents’ immigration status, under a provision of the 14th Amendment.
During the hearing, Justice Amy Coney Barrett pressed the solicitor general with pointed questions about the Trump administration’s handling of and compliance with court rulings.
Coney Barrett, appointed by President Trump in 2020, has at times taken a more centrist stance than many of his supporters anticipated. She has drawn criticism from some on the right for siding against her conservative colleagues in past decisions.
Tensions between the executive and judicial branches have escalated recently. In March, following President Trump’s call to remove a judge who ruled against his deportation policies, Chief Justice John Roberts issued a rare public rebuke. Without naming Trump directly, Roberts stated that impeachment is “not an appropriate response” to disagreeing with a judge’s ruling.