The Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA) issues the following statement in response to President Donald J. Trump’s recent remarks levelling personal attacks against members of the U.S. Supreme Court after its decision in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, which held that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not give a president the authority to impose certain tariffs.

Following the ruling, in public statements and in Truth Social postings, the President said he was "ashamed" of the justices in the 6-3 majority, whom he described as "unpatriotic," "disloyal," "fools" and "lap dogs" "swayed by foreign interests." He also singled out Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch—both his appointees—for siding with the majority and said that they are a "disgrace to our nation" and an "embarrassment to their families."

LACBA reaffirms the essential role of an independent judiciary in upholding the rule of law and our constitutionally based system of checks and balances. While public officials may disagree with court decisions, personal attacks on justices undermine public confidence in the judicial system and threaten the constitutional balance of powers. They also threaten the safety of judges at a time when threats and acts of violence against members of the judiciary are a serious concern.

We condemn all personal attacks against the judiciary and speak out because this type of behavior cannot be normalized.

We strongly urge all public officials to lead by example by following all judicial rulings and challenging them only through lawful means and with dignity and respect for our judiciary.