Trump says liberal judges are blocking his agenda — data suggests otherwise

President Trump's loss rate in federal district court is getting worse by the month

In February, district judges were ruling against him approximately 53 percent of the time

In May, that went up to 96 percent. The president noticed. On Memorial Day, he posted on Truth Social a happy holiday to all, including

USA hating judges who suffer from an ideology that is sick and very dangerous for our country

The blistering criticism of the federal judiciary by the president and some Republicans in Congress alleges bias from liberal judges and an effort to halt his agenda

But the data reveals both liberal and conservative judges are ruling against President Trump at nearly identical rates

Liberal judges have ruled against Trump in 84 percent of cases, while conservative jurists have sided with his opponents 82 percent of the time

according to an ysis by Stanford University political science professor Adam Bonica

That ysis was released March 18. Bonica's new data indicates Trump's losing streak has worsened since that time

The rulings come in multiple forms, temporary restraining orders, injunctions, or a final decision based on the merits of the case

Bonica wrote, This isn't partisan opposition to Trump. It's the judiciary functioning as intended by cutting across partisan lines to uphold the Constitution

Bonica ysis included 32 cases in which liberal judges presided and 11 cases overseen by conservative judges Liberal judges are hearing significantly more cases due to geography and venue shopping

or forum shopping as it's also called. It's done by both liberal and conservatives

They file litigation in a court or with a judge that's perceived to be friendly toward their issue

So they're able to file their case, pick where they want to file their case based on those factors

and where they think they will have the best chance for success. For instance, after President Biden tried to end the Remain in Mexico policy from Trump's first term

Texas and Missouri filed suit in the Amarillo division of the Northern District of Texas

That court has a single presiding judge, Matthew J. Casemarck, a Trump appointee who has a history of conservative legal advocacy

Casemarck granted the plaintiffs a stay, ordering the Biden administration to enforce Remain in Mexico

which required asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their case makes its way through the courts

What separates a conservative judge from a liberal judge is often different than what separates a conservative politician from a liberal politician

As Georgetown law professor David Super explained, conservative judges are often originalists, meaning they seek to interpret the Constitution, laws, and provisions

based on how they were understood at the time they were written

LIBERAL JUDGES BELIEVE THE COUNTRY'S PRINCIPLES HAVE EVOLVED OVER TIME AND THAT JUDICIAL RULING SHOULD REFLECT THAT EVOLUTION ALTHOUGH THAT DOESN ALWAYS APPLY YOU HAVE A LOT OF ISSUES THAT ARE PRETTY CLEAR ISSUES OF LAW AND IT DOESN Judicial ruling should reflect that evolution although that doesn always apply You have a lot of issues that are pretty clear issues of law and it doesn matter who the judge is on those cases

As an example, President Trump signed an executive order in March that, in essence, banned the federal government from doing business with the law firm WilmerHale

Trump claimed the firm's actions threaten national security and limit constitutional freedoms

His reasoning? They hired Robert Mueller and some of his deputies after they completed the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election

A conservative George W. Bush appointee struck down the WilmerHale order. Judge Richard Leon wrote in his ruling, quote

The cornerstone of the American system of justice is an independent judiciary

and an independent bar willing to tackle unpopular cases, however daunting. The founding fathers knew this

The Trump administration argued WilmerHale's statements that it would be harmed by the executive order

are, quote, speculation. Judge Leon responded, quote, this argument is absurd. It's very clear

there also have been some cases that have been brought against the administration that have not

had the basic requirements to be heard in court to establish jurisdiction. And very, very liberal

judges have rejected those cases as well as conservative ones. Judge James Boesberg, who

Republicans said should be impeached for his rulings against Trump, declined to halt deportation

flights After the ACLU filed an emergency appeal Boesberg stated he was sympathetic to their cause but didn believe he had the authority to issue a nationwide restraining order

because the Supreme Court ruled challenges to deportations must be filed in the jurisdiction where the individuals are detained

The immigrants were in Texas while Boesberg is in D.C. Straight Arrow News asked Super

do judges rule in favor of a president or his party because they appointed them

or are presidents choosing judges who are more likely to rule in their favor

due to their judicial philosophy? Super said it's the latter. Presidents look at candidates for judgeships

and think about which judges are likely to support the kinds of initiatives

that president wants to take. Maybe 30 years ago, that didn't happen with district court judges

but I think it now happens with every judicial appointment on any level in the federal courts

Super and many legal scholars don't believe judges feel gratitude toward the president or party that appointed them, at least not in a way that would affect their rulings

Once you're on the bench, you work for yourself and you work for the people

You don't work for the person who appointed you. Judges are there for life

Presidents go out of office after a maximum of eight years. And I don't think they see themselves as tied to that president at all

I'm Ray Bogan for Straight Arrow News. For more reporting, download the SAN app