President Trump slams the Supreme Court for rejecting his push to restrict mail ballots

President Donald Trump sharply criticized the Supreme Court on Tuesday after the justices rejected his administration’s effort to impose new restrictions on mail-in voting ahead of the November midterm elections. The court’s emergency order indicated that the administration’s proposed restrictions were unlikely to succeed in court, allowing states to continue using their existing mail-ballot procedures.

Trump directed some of his criticism toward the three justices he appointed during his first term — Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett — saying those who opposed him were “not the people I interviewed.” He praised Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, who dissented from the decision.

The administration had sought a larger role for the U.S. Postal Service in determining whether states met new requirements for mailing ballots. State election officials argued that implementing the changes so close to the election would be difficult and potentially disruptive, particularly because mail voting was already beginning in some states.

Attorney General Todd Blanche said the administration would comply with the ruling while defending Trump’s right to publicly criticize the judiciary. The dispute continues a pattern in which Trump has praised the Supreme Court when it supports his policies while criticizing individual justices — including his own appointees — when decisions go against his administration.

By Seung Min Kim, Associated Press Michelle L. Price contributed to the report. Updated September 15, 2026.