The Japan Times - Trump blasts judges, fueling fear of constitutional clash

With the Republican Party controlling Congress and completely loyal to Trump, the billionaire president has largely ignored the legislature as he carries out his unprecedented policies.

But he has faced growing pushback from the courts since taking office three weeks ago, with US media outlets reporting 11 orders issued against the administration -- five of them on Monday alone -- from dozens of federal lawsuits.

As the courts and Trump appeared increasingly to be on a collision course, he lashed out on Truth Social.

"Billions of Dollars of FRAUD, WASTE, AND ABUSE, has already been found in the investigation of our incompetently run Government. Now certain activists and highly political judges want us to slow down, or stop," Trump posted.

"Losing this momentum will be very detrimental to finding the TRUTH, which is turning out to be a disaster for those involved in running our Government. Much left to find. No Excuses!!!"

Trump first ran up against the judiciary over an attempt to freeze $3 trillion in federal grants and loans, a deferred resignation program for government workers, and a plan to transfer transgender inmates to men's prisons.

He has also clashed with judges over his abolition of birthright citizenship for children born to undocumented immigrants, sending Venezuelan migrants to Guantanamo Bay, funding cuts to the National Institutes of Health, the firing of the government's ethics watchdog and placing workers from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) on leave.

Injunctions have been placed on each of these actions. But concerns are mounting that Trump could ultimately defy the rulings, prompting a full-blown constitutional crisis.

- 'Coup'? -

Trump's harshest critics say that horse has already bolted after a federal judge was forced to upbraid the White House on Monday for failing to comply with his order to end the federal funding freeze.

Vice President JD Vance has fueled speculation over a coming clash, claiming in a social media post Sunday that judges lack authority to "control the executive's legitimate power."

In fact, the US constitution gives federal judges the right to rule on cases involving the president as part of their oversight role of the other branches of government.

Vance's comments -- which came after a judge blocked tech billionaire Elon Musk's so-called "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE) from accessing Americans' personal data -- earned him a rebuke from legal scholars and political opponents.

"If you believe any of the multiple federal courts that have ruled against you so far are exceeding their statutory or Constitutional authority, your recourse is to appeal," Liz Cheney, a former Republican lawmaker and vocal Trump critic, replied.

"You don't get to rage-quit the Republic just because you are losing. That's tyranny."

The DOGE injunction also came under attack from Musk, who complained of a "corrupt judge protecting corruption" and proposed that one percent of the federal judiciary be fired every year.

In an X post on Tuesday, Musk claimed that "democracy in America is being destroyed by judicial coup."

But critics characterize the deluge of criticism from the world's richest man, the US president and the vice president as a coordinated assault on the rule of law.

"This is not just a musing from a dude with some various ideas," tech commentator and veteran Musk watcher Kara Swisher said of the Spacex and Tesla CEO.

"The next step is to hollow out the judiciary and also not follow their rulings, which have been against Musk's efforts. This is a very obvious coup, for those not paying attention."

The criticism has not halted the frenetic pace of the White House under Trump, who has signed more than 75 executive orders and other edicts, outpacing recent predecessors.

On Monday he boosted tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, announced a crackdown on paper straws and abolished the minting of pennies.

K.Hashimoto--JT