President Donald Trump lashed out at the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, after the high court rejected his request to lift an order halting his administration’s plan to restrict mail-in voting. According to Associated Press reporting by Seung Min Kim, Trump accused the justices of allowing themselves to be intimidated by Democrats, writing on Truth Social that certain judges are “terrified of these crazed and depraved Democrats.”
Supreme Court Rejects Emergency Mail-In Voting Bid
The legal battle centers on an executive order Trump signed in March to restrict mail-in voting ahead of the November midterm elections. According to the original source text, Trump claimed without evidence that mail-in ballots are vulnerable to fraud. Democratic-led states immediately filed lawsuits against the directive, arguing under the U.S. Constitution that states—not the federal government—hold broad control over election administration. On Monday night, September 14, 2026, the Supreme Court issued an emergency order stating that the administration’s restrictions would likely fail in court, noting that state and local election officials lacked sufficient time to implement the rules before the election.
Friction Over Judicial Appointments and Past Rulings
Following the decision, Trump expressed specific frustration with justices he appointed himself, stating in his social media post that the court members who opposed him “were not the people I interviewed” for the bench, as reported by The Associated Press. While six conservative justices sit on the nine-member court, only Justice Sam Alito and Justice Clarence Thomas publicly dissented from the emergency order. Justice Brett Kavanaugh noted in a concurring opinion that while the policy might be legal eventually, local officials simply ran out of time to adapt.
Did you know? A Brookings Institution report published in 2025 found that mail-in voting fraud is exceedingly rare, recording only about four fraudulent instances for every 10 million ballots cast. Roughly a third of American voters utilize mail-in ballots.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the Supreme Court block the mail-in voting restrictions?
According to Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s concurring opinion, state and local election officials did not have enough time to reasonably apply the new rules before the November midterm elections.
Who challenged the executive order?
Democratic-led states sued the Trump administration, arguing that the U.S. Constitution grants states primary authority over administering elections.
Which Supreme Court justices dissented from the decision?
Justices Sam Alito and Clarence Thomas were the only two conservative members of the high court to publicly express disagreement with the emergency order.
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