Trump's Judges: A Look at How They Rule

President Trump's impact on the judiciary is clear. His appointees to the appellate courts have been very supportive of his policies. In 2025, they voted in his favor 133 times and against only 12 times. That's a huge difference! These judges were appointed during Trump's first term. Now, in his second term, they are often reversing decisions made by lower courts. This has helped Trump's policies move forward. It also changes the idea that the legal system was stopping him from gaining more power. In 2018, Trump criticized a judge he called an "Obama judge. " Chief Justice Roberts responded by saying there are no such things as Obama or Trump judges. But the data tells a different story. Trump's appointees have supported his agenda 92% of the time. This is much higher than support from judges appointed by other Republican presidents.The New York Times looked at over 500 rulings from January to December 2025. They found that about half of the appellate court rulings were in Trump's favor. This is better than his record in district courts but not as good as in the Supreme Court. There, most rulings on his agenda have been preliminary. It's important to note that judges are supposed to be independent. But the data shows a clear pattern. Trump's appointees are more likely to support his policies. This raises questions about the independence of the judiciary.