Trump says he regrets nominating Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Barrett to Supreme Court

In an interview published on October 1, 2026, President Donald Trump expressed explicit regret over nominating Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett, stating they vote against him "too often." Trump pointed to major 2026 defeats on mail-in voting, birthright citizenship, and emergency tariffs. While Trump lamented his appointees' lack of loyalty, he praised the court's liberal bloc for voting as a unified group.

Trump's regret over his Supreme Court nominees

• ▪President Donald Trump complained that Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett vote against him too often despite him giving them "the position of a lifetime."
• ▪President Donald Trump stated in an interview with Time magazine published on October 1, 2026, that he regrets nominating Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett

Trump's views on judicial loyalty

• ▪President Donald Trump asserted that the Democratic-appointed Supreme Court justices display loyalty to Barack Obama and Joe Biden, whereas his own appointees have made decisions that are "very disappointing for the country."
• ▪When asked by Time magazine if he wants loyalty from his Supreme Court picks, President Donald Trump initially answered "I do like loyalty, yeah," before stating "No, I don't want loyalty. I want good decisions."
• ▪President Donald Trump praised the Supreme Court's liberal bloc—Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson—stating they "stick like glue" and virtually never vary from voting as a group

The emergency tariff ruling and Trump's reaction

• ▪In February 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act did not authorize President Donald Trump to impose emergency tariffs, with Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett joining the majority
• ▪President Donald Trump claimed the February 2026 Supreme Court ruling striking down his tariffs was disastrous and cost the country $400 billion because the Supreme Court did not include a clause stating paid money did not have to be refunded

Ruling on birthright citizenship

• ▪In June 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 against President Donald Trump's executive order to end birthright citizenship, with Justice Amy Coney Barrett joining the majority and Justice Brett Kavanaugh concurring
• ▪Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Neil Gorsuch dissented in the Supreme Court's June 2026 ruling striking down Trump's birthright citizenship ban

The mail-voting ruling and Trump's reaction

• ▪On September 14, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 7-2 to block President Donald Trump's plan to use the U.S. Postal Service to restrict mail-voting, with Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett voting against the administration
• ▪Following the September 14, 2026 Supreme Court ruling blocking Trump's mail-in voting plan, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that his three Supreme Court appointees were "merely a shell of their original selves" and "not the people I interviewed."

Debatable claims

• ▪A U.S. president lacks the constitutional authority to end birthright citizenship by executive order
• ▪Judicial independence matters more than loyalty to an appointing president
• ▪Consistent bloc voting by Supreme Court justices undermines the credibility of the judiciary