President Donald Trump has suggested that some judges are just politicians in robes. In a tweet, he called U.S. District Judge James Robart of the Western District of Washington, who ruled against his first travel ban, a “so-called judge.” In another tweet, he described the actions of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit panel that declined to lift a stay on the ban as “disgraceful” and “political.”
The president’s comments may be sharp, but they do resonate with many people who believe that the courts are “rigged” against them. Contrary to Trump’s critics, we believe that his remarks about cases and judges are healthy for our democracy. They are part of an American presidential tradition of challenging the unelected branch.
