Leonard Leo, who helped Trump win extraordinary power, is now a ‘bad person’ in the president’s eyes
CNN
President Donald Trump usually touts his conservative judicial legacy, and he possibly owes no one more than Federalist Society leader Leonard Leo for that.
President Donald Trump usually touts his conservative judicial legacy, and he possibly owes no one more than Federalist Society leader Leonard Leo for that. But as Trump raged over a three-judge panel’s decision against his tariff plan Thursday night, he dragged Leo into his Truth Social missive. He called Leo a “real ‘sleazebag’ …. A bad person, who in his own way probably hates America.” Trump and Leo have clashed in recent years. But their shared history of success makes Thursday night’s harsh comments especially striking. And Trump’s remarks wildly disregarded the legacy the well-monied, deeply connected Leo helped provide him, including the vast stocking of important US appellate courts and appointment of three of the nine Supreme Court justices: Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. In 2016, Leo provided names of possible Supreme Court nominees that then-candidate Trump touted during his campaign. It was a novel move and one that helped Trump bolster his conservative bona-fides with the Republican base. The one-time alliance produced some of the most outspoken conservatives on the lower courts. On the Supreme Court, all three of Trump’s picks were crucial to overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022 and providing Trump substantial immunity from criminal prosecution in 2024.
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