WASHINGTON (AP) – People spoke in whispers and craned their necks Wednesday as President Donald Trump broke with all sitting presidents before him and took a seat in the front row open to the public to hear a Supreme Court argument. He sat silently, hands in his lap, as a spectator, without any acknowledgment from the justices present. This was an unprecedented display of presidential power.
He was accompanied by Attorney General Pam Bondi and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to hear his administration defend his executive order that aimed to overturn the constitutional and statutory protection of birthright citizenship. During the session, Trump listened as both liberal and conservative justices questioned the administration’s lawyer. Some of the justices, including those he had nominated, expressed skepticism towards his planned restrictions on birthright citizenship.
After the opposing party’s arguments, Trump left the courtroom. Later, he took to social media to criticize the concept of birthright citizenship, calling the United States the only country foolish enough to allow it. This post added to the ongoing criticism Trump has directed at the court and certain justices, including Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, whom he appointed, deeming them ‘an embarrassment’ to their families.
The Chief Justice, John Roberts, did not directly mention Trump but previously highlighted the dangers of criticizing federal judges. Legal experts believe that Trump’s strategy of trying to intimidate the justices may not be effective, as justices value their independence regardless of their stance on Trump’s policies.
The presence of Trump and the actor Robert DeNiro, a vocal Trump critic, at the courtroom added a dramatic element to the proceedings. Despite sharing the courtroom, the two did not interact.
