The White House denounced the judiciary panel that blocked President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs, accusing the "activist judges" of "inserting themselves" where they don't belong.
The panel consisted of three judges, each appointed to the court by a president, including Judge Timothy Reif, who was added to the court in 2019 by Trump.
"There is a troubling and dangerous trend of unelected judges inserting themselves into the presidential decision making process," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a briefing on Thursday following the court ruling against Trump's tariffs.
"America cannot function if President Trump or any other president has their sensitive diplomatic or trade negotiations railroaded by activist judges," Leavitt said.
The Trump administration has repeatedly condemned judicial action against its executive orders as an overreach of power. Opponents argue that the presidentially-appointed federal judges are simply doing their job.
The case was brought forward by seven plaintiffs who argued that the sweeping tariffs, enacted by Trump in April on what he dubbed "Liberation Day," are unlawful.
The administration has defended the tariffs as a necessary use of emergency powers law, describing the federal trade deficit as a national emergency. The plaintiffs the claim, arguing that emergency powers law does not give the president authority to sidestep congressional approval of Trump's tariffs, and furthermore, that the trade deficit does not qualify as a national emergency, as it has existed for the last 49 years, as reported by the Associated Press.
The New York-based U.S. Court of International Trade ruled in favor of the plaintiffs and ordered a pause on tariffs.
The judiciary panel included Reif, President Ronald Reagan appointee Jane Restani and President Barack Obama appointee Gary Katzman.
The administration filed an immediate appeal and the case is suspected to make its way to the Supreme Court.
Originally published on Latin Times
