Majority of Americans Believe President Must Obey Court Rulings: New Poll

Newsweek

26-05-2025

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A new Marquette University Law School Poll has revealed that 79 percent of Americans believe presidents must obey federal court rulings, with even stronger support—84 percent—for compliance with Supreme Court decisions.
The national survey, conducted May 5-15, 2025, interviewed 1,004 adults with a margin of error of +/-3.6 percentage points. The poll gains heightened significance after President Donald Trump's Memorial Day attack on federal judges, whom he called "monsters" who want the United States "to go to hell."
The poll also found that 70 percent of respondents oppose impeaching judges for ruling against presidential actions, despite escalating rhetoric from the Trump administration following a series of unfavorable court decisions on immigration policies.
Newsweek reached out to the White House via email on Monday for comment.
Why It Matters
These findings underscore broad public support for judicial independence at a critical moment as Trump's rhetoric against federal judges has reached new heights. On Memorial Day, the president posted on his Truth Social platform that judges suffer from "an ideology that is sick" and accused them of being "on a mission to keep murderers, drug dealers, rapists, gang members, and released prisoners from all over the world" in the country.
Trump's attacks follow a series of court defeats, including a recent 7-2 Supreme Court ruling that found his administration violated due process rights of Venezuelan migrants during deportations.
What To Know
The survey reveals strong cross-partisan support for judicial compliance, with more than 70 percent of Republicans, Democrats, and independents agreeing presidents must follow court rulings.
However, the data shows significant partisan variations on specific constitutional questions:
Growing Democratic Opposition to Executive Overreach: Among Democrats, support for presidential compliance with Supreme Court rulings surged from 79 percent in December 2024 to 93 percent in May 2025—a 14-point increase that coincides with Trump's return to office.
Republican Consistency Despite Tensions: Republican opinion remained remarkably stable, with 78 percent supporting compliance in May compared to 79 percent in December, even as Trump escalated his attacks on federal judges.
Executive Power Boundaries: The poll reveals clear limits to public tolerance for expanded presidential authority. Some 62 percent say Trump's actions to freeze spending and close congressionally authorized agencies exceed presidential power, with sharp partisan divides: 88 percent of Democrats and 64 percent of independents oppose such actions, while 63 percent of Republicans support them.
Legislative Authority Remains Sacred: An overwhelming 81 percent oppose allowing presidents to make laws unilaterally when Congress fails to act—up from 72 percent in 2020—with even 69 percent of Republicans rejecting such expanded executive power.
Court Blocking Orders Viewed as Proper: When asked about federal courts temporarily blocking Trump administration executive actions, 64 percent call this a proper use of judicial authority. The response splits along partisan lines, with 87 percent of Democrats and 69 percent of independents supporting such judicial interventions, while 61 percent of Republicans oppose them.
What People Are Saying
The escalating tension between the Trump administration and federal judiciary has drawn sharp reactions from key figures:
President Donald Trump's Memorial Day Truth Social message: "U.S. judges were on a mission to keep murderers, drug dealers, rapists, gang members, and released prisoners from all over the world, in our country so they can rob, murder, and rape again—all protected by these USA hating judges who suffer from an ideology that is sick."
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, of the Trump administration-ordered deportations: "Those are the terrorists that President Trump is finding and apprehending that our Democrat judges and Democrat activists are trying to keep on U.S. soil."
The top White House adviser has said the Trump administration is actively exploring ways to expand its legal authority to deport undocumented migrants, including the potential suspension of habeas corpus rights.
Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News that Judge James Boasberg was "meddling in our government" and questioned "why is the judge trying to protect terrorists who invaded our country over American citizens?"
In March, the president called for Boasberg, who had ordered a halt of the Trump administration's deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members, to be impeached, accusing him of being on the "radical left."
Conservative former federal Judge J. Michael Luttig to MSNBC: "No, the judges are not deranged, Pam Bondi. They are simply enforcing their oath to the Constitution of the United States. The same oath that you, Madam Attorney General, took yourself."
He added: "I don't know where this ends…but it appears that, in this moment, the president intends to prosecute this war against the federal judiciary and the rule of law to its catastrophic end."
On recent Supreme Court cases, the poll shows mixed public reception. Sixty-seven percent favor the court's ruling requiring the Trump administration to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, erroneously deported to El Salvador, though 59 percent of Republicans oppose this decision.
Similarly, 65 percent support the court's ruling on due process requirements for deportations under the Alien Enemies Act.
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, greets Chief Justice John Roberts at the U.S. Capitol on March 4, 2025, in Washington D.C.
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, greets Chief Justice John Roberts at the U.S. Capitol on March 4, 2025, in Washington D.C.What Happens Next
Trump's escalating conflict with the federal judiciary appears far from resolution, with the president showing no signs of moderating his rhetoric, despite suffering multiple legal defeats.
The Marquette poll's findings suggest this strategy may face public resistance, with broad bipartisan support for judicial compliance and opposition to impeaching judges for unfavorable rulings. Even among Republicans who oppose recent Supreme Court immigration decisions, substantial majorities—75 percent to 79 percent—still say presidents must obey court rulings.