Trump is unleashed at Leonard Leo, a legal activist who helped him choose the judges of the Supreme Court: “probably hates America”

President Trump attack The powerful conservative legal activist Leonard Leo Thursday evening, calling for ancient The head of the federalist society who one day advised the President of the Supreme Court chooses a “bad person” who “probably hates America”.

Mr. Trump was unleashed at Leo one day after a panel of judges – one named by Trump – called most of his prices illegal. The decision, which was interrupted by a court of appealPut Mr. Trump in contradiction with certain conservative lawyers: two of the three judges who decided the case were appointed by the Republicans, and the decision came in response to a trial which cited right legal theories.

The president attacked the three judges behind this decision in a social post of truth on Thursday evening, calling him a “horrible and threatening decision of the country” and suggesting that it was done because the judges hate him. He then turned his attention to Leo and the Federalist Society, two long -standing pillars of the conservative legal movement largely credited for helping Mr. Trump to choose Hundreds of federal judges – some of which reigned against his administration.

“I was new in Washington, and it was suggested that I use federalist society as a recommended source on judges,” wrote Mr. Trump Social truth Late Thursday. “I did it, openly and freely, but I then realized that they were under the thumb of a real” Sleaze -bag “called Leonard Leo, a bad person who, in his own way, probably hates America, and obviously has his own distinct ambitions.”

In a Declaration to PoliticoLeo said: “I am very grateful to President Trump transforming the federal courts, and it was an involved privilege,” said Leo. “There is more work to do, that’s for sure, but the federal judiciary is better than ever in modern history, and it will be the most important heritage of President Trump.”

CBS News contacted Leo and the Federalist Society for Comments.

Mr. Trump’s attacks on Leo and the federalist society strike because of their alliance of several years with the president. During his 2016 campaign, Trump promised to listen to the right -wing legal organization during legal choices, Interview: “We are going to have great judges, conservatives, all chosen by the federalist society.”

During the first term of Mr. Trump, Leo advised the president on his choices from the Supreme Court, which constitute a key element of the conservative majority of the high court.

Leo spoke with Mr. Trump shortly after judge Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement in 2018, opening a vacancy on the ground which was filled by Brett Kavanaugh, Leo told CBS News at the time. When he was asked how Trump had decided to create a list of possible candidates from the High Court, Leo said that the president “called and asked to meet and suggested the idea of ​​making a list”.

Trump spoke positively about Leo during his first mandate. “We had a list on which you worked very hard and others,” said the president 2019 event.

But Thursday, Trump said that he was “disappointed with federalist society because of the bad advice they gave me on many judicial appointments”.

Mr. Trump also noted that Leo had “left the federalist society to make his own” trick “,” perhaps referring to Leo’s work with the Teneo network, a group intended for – in Leo’s words – “Crush liberal domination” in fields other than the right, from entertainment to finance.

The president clashed with judges several times in recent months, as some parts of his program – including prices and immigration policy – face a repression of the federal judicial power.

In particular, the prices could put Economic policies of signature Against some of the legal theories defended by the conservative judicial movement. The proceedings arguing that Mr. Trump does not have the power to perceive radical global prices cited non -delegated doctrine and the doctrine of main questions, two legal concepts according to which members of the Supreme Court – including those chosen by Mr. Trump – have adopted for years.