‘Nobody suffers like I do’: Trump says Obama-appointed judges leave him ‘barely a chance of victory’

Donald Trump criticized Barack Obama-era judicial appointments after federal courts blocked parts of his election integrity executive order
President Donald Trump had claimed Obama-appointed judges left him with limited chances in court (Getty Images)
President Donald Trump had claimed Obama-appointed judges left him with limited chances in court (Getty Images)

MARIETTA, GEORGIA: President Donald Trump criticized judges appointed by former President Barack Obama during a rally in Marietta, Georgia, on Wednesday, July 22, claiming they leave him with "barely a chance of victory" in court.

While discussing his administration's public safety and law enforcement agenda, Trump also targeted what he described as "rogue judges" and prosecutors. His remarks came after Obama-appointed federal judges blocked parts of his election integrity executive order.

Trump says Obama-appointed judges make court victories difficult

Addressing supporters, Trump said his administration would continue pursuing tougher crime policies before turning his attention to the federal judiciary.

"With the help of our Republican majorities in Congress, we will crush violent crime, impose harsh new penalties for dangerous repeat offenders, crack down on Marxist proxy, oh, these prosecutors are so bad, they're so evil what they do," Trump said.



Trump then criticized members of the judiciary, arguing that litigants face difficult odds before judges appointed by the Obama administration.

"And the rogue judges, you don't have a chance in front of these people. If Obama puts in a judge, I don't care how good your case is, you barely have a chance of victory."

Trump added that he believed he had personally experienced that pattern in court.

"And nobody suffers it like I do. I get an Obama judge, first thing I, who appointed the judge? Barack Hussein Obama. Oh, that's a problem."

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks with former U.S. President Barack Obama as Melania Trump looks on during the state funeral for former U.S. President Jimmy Carter at Washington National Cathedral on January 09, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Joe Biden declared today a national day of mourning for Carter, the 39th President of the United States, who died at the age of 100 on December 29, 2024 at his home in Plains, Georgia. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
President-elect Donald Trump had spoken with former President Barack Obama during Jimmy Carter's state funeral (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The remarks were made during a campaign-style event in the battleground state of Georgia, where Trump also promoted his administration's economic agenda, the Trump Accounts program and Republican candidates running in the 2026 midterm elections.

Trump comments after election integrity order setbacks

Trump's criticism came after two Obama-appointed federal judges issued rulings limiting portions of his March executive order on election integrity.

Last month, US District Judge Indira Talwani, who was appointed by Obama in 2014, blocked parts of Executive Order 14248, ruling that the president lacked the authority to establish federal election rules because that power rests with Congress and the states.

MIAMI - FEBRUARY 02: A judges gavel rests on top of a desk in the courtroom of the newly opened Blac
A judge's gavel had rested on a desk inside a courtroom in Miami, Florida (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

The order sought to create a federal voter registration list, impose new restrictions on mail voting and tighten voter registration requirements.

Obama-appointed US District Judge Denise J Casper also blocked several provisions of the order, concluding that the administration had exceeded its executive authority by attempting to create or alter election rules without congressional approval.

The ruling prevented the administration from enforcing requirements for documentary proof of citizenship for federal voter registration, changing voting procedures for military and overseas voters, and withholding election funding from states that declined to adopt certain election policies.

President Donald Trump speaks to a rally at Wheeler High School in Marietta, Ga., Wednesday, July 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)
President Donald Trump had addressed supporters at a rally in Marietta, Georgia (AP Photo/Erik S Lesser)

The rulings prompted renewed calls from Trump for Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, legislation backed by the administration that would require proof of US citizenship for voter registration and establish nationwide voter identification requirements.

The measure remains pending in the Senate after passing the House earlier this year.

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