U.S. President Donald Trump is on the attack against two liberal judges on the Supreme Court, in a move that follows sharp criticism over his interference in the judiciary in ongoing cases.
Trump, on Twitter, demanded that both Justice Ruth Ginsberg and Justice Sonia Sotomayor “recuse themselves on all Trump, or Trump-related matters” before the country’s top court.
The matter appears to have originated in a dissenting opinion issued by Sotomayor in which she criticised the White House for rushing to the Supreme Court for relief when lower courts refused.
She was also critical of her judicial peers for acquiescing to the administration’s repeated requests.
It is far from unusual for justices to criticise parties to a case or even to pass judgement on the majority opinion of the court.
At a news conference in India, Trump again slammed the judge for her written dissent, which he said was “so inappropriate.”
Trump in recent weeks has faced criticisms over his interference in judicial cases, including of his long-time friend, Roger Stone, who was convicted on seven charges, including lying to Congress.
Attorney General William Barr, considered as a staunch Trump ally, held a rare interview in which he said Trump’s tweets were making it harder for him to do his job.
Trump has appointed two Supreme Court justices in his first term.
There are currently five Republican-appointed judges and four appointed by Democratic presidents.
Sotomayor was appointed by Barack Obama and Ginsburg by Bill Clinton.