Latest news with #RoeVWade
The Guardian
21 hours ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Trump news at a glance: US-China trade relations falter amid fragile trade truce
President Donald Trump had this May hailed a 'total reset' of US-China relations, but trade relations between the world's two-largest economies have faltered since, highlighting the fragility of the truce. The US is now complaining that China not delivered on its promises to roll back restrictions on the export of key critical minerals, with Trump saying on Friday that China had 'totally violated' the agreement. China has also hit back, with its commerce ministry saying this week that China 'is determined to safeguard its rights and interests'. It also denied the accusation it had undermined the 12 May agreement. Here are the key stories at a glance: China has accused the US of 'seriously violating' the fragile US-China detente that has been in place for less than a month since the two countries agreed to pause the trade war that risked upending the global economy. Read the full story A pro-Donald Trump journalist says she was fired from her job after criticizing the president's secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, over his attempts to restrict media access at the Pentagon. Read the full story At least 20 Planned Parenthood clinics across seven states have shuttered since the start of 2025 or have announced plans to close soon – closures that come amid immense financial and political turbulence for the reproductive health giant as the United States continues to grapple with the fallout from the end of Roe v Wade. Read the full story Millions of acres of Alaska wilderness will lose federal protections and be exposed to drilling and mining in the Trump administration's latest move to prioritize energy production over the shielding of the US's open spaces. Read the full story Political leaders across the US have condemned what they describe as a horrific, antisemitic attack in Boulder, Colorado, after a man allegedly used a makeshift flamethrower and incendiary devices to target people at a rally calling for the release of the hostages held by Hamas. Read the full story Donald Trump has pardoned two south Florida shark divers convicted of theft for freeing 19 sharks and a giant grouper from a fisherman's longline several miles from shore. Pardons for Tanner Mansell and John Moore Jr were signed on Wednesday. They had been convicted in 2022 of theft of property within special maritime jurisdiction. Read the full story Trump administration officials sparked a huge protest in a Boston suburb after immigration agents detained a high school student while they were seeking his father. US senator Joni Ernst triggered fierce criticism after making light of voters' fears that Republican Medicaid cuts could prove fatal. Massachusetts Institute of Technology barred its 2025 class president from attending her graduation ceremony after she delivered a speech condemning the war in Gaza and criticizing the university's ties to Israel. Catching up? Here's what happened on 1 June 2025.
The Guardian
a day ago
- Business
- The Guardian
At least 20 Planned Parenthood clinics shutter amid political turbulence
At least 20 Planned Parenthood clinics across seven states have shuttered since the start of 2025 or have announced plans to close soon – closures that come amid immense financial and political turbulence for the reproductive health giant as the United States continues to grapple with the fallout from the end of Roe v Wade. The Planned Parenthood network, which operates nearly 600 clinics through a web of independent regional affiliates and is overseen by the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, is facing a number of threats from the Trump administration. A Guardian analysis has found that Planned Parenthood closures have occurred or are in the works across six affiliates that maintain clinics in Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Utah and Vermont. In late March, the Trump administration suddenly froze tens of millions of dollars in funding for nine Planned Parenthood affiliates, including at least two that have since closed clinics or are set to do so soon. The funding, which flowed from the federal family planning program Title X, was used to provide services such as contraception, cancer screenings and STI tests. 'The ways in which this administration is dismantling access to public health and public health information are really troubling and, frankly, force us to make these difficult decisions very quickly,' said Shireen Ghorbani, interim president of Planned Parenthood Association of Utah, which saw $2.8m of its Title X funding – 20% of the affiliate's budget – frozen under the Trump administration. It has since closed two clinics as well as laid off a number of staffers who worked on initiatives like sex education. Last year, Ghorbani said, 26,000 Utahns received Title X-funded care at Planned Parenthood. Ghorbani does not believe that Utah's Republican-controlled state legislature will step in to create a substitute program. 'I will be shocked if a single cent is spent to make sure that people are able to control their health and their sexual and reproductive lives,' she said. Planned Parenthood's financial woes have raised eyebrows for some advocates of abortion rights and reproductive health. The organization has weathered several crises, including allegations of mismanagement, in the years since Roe collapsed – but as the face of US abortion access it continued to rake in donations. (Most abortions in the US are in fact performed by small 'independent' clinics, which are grappling with their own financial turmoil.) As of June 2023, the Planned Parenthood network had about $3bn in assets, according to its 2024 report. In April, Planned Parenthood of Michigan's announced that it would cut its staffing by 10% and close four clinics. Viktoria Koskenoja, an emergency medicine doctor who worked at one of the clinics that has closed, said that the closures came as 'a real shock'. 'It's sort of a frantic scramble right now to figure out where these patients are going to be able to go,' said Koskenoja, who lives in Michigan's rural Upper Peninsula. 'People are just going to get worse care for the time being, until we can figure something out.' She added: 'I think that if they had asked for money from the community to keep it open, people would have donated.' In a press release, Planned Parenthood of Michigan attributed the closures and layoffs to 'historic threats and cuts to federal funding'. The cuts to Title X, it said, 'deal a devastating financial blow to healthcare providers like PPMI'. But Planned Parenthood of Michigan was not among the Planned Parenthood affiliates that saw their Title X funding frozen. In Michigan, the federal government distributes Title X funding to the state's department of health and human services, which in turn doles money out to clinics, including those run by Planned Parenthood of Michigan. The Michigan department of health and human services has not seen a disruption in Title X funding. Planned Parenthood of Michigan did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the clinic closures and the role of Title X in those closures. The squeeze the organization is navigating may be about to tighten. Republicans at the national level are ramping up their campaign to 'defund' Planned Parenthood by kicking it out of Medicaid, the government insurance program for low-income people. Of the 2.4 million people treated at Planned Parenthood nationwide each year, nearly half rely on Medicaid. Sign up to This Week in Trumpland A deep dive into the policies, controversies and oddities surrounding the Trump administration after newsletter promotion Additionally, the supreme court is weighing a case involving an attempt by South Carolina to remove Planned Parenthood from its Medicaid program over the organization's status as an abortion provider. If the high court greenlights South Carolina's move, it could pave the way for other red states to refuse to reimburse Planned Parenthood for Medicaid costs. In Congress, Republicans' 'one big beautiful' tax bill, which has passed the House of Representatives and is now being considered in the Senate, also includes a provision that would effectively bar organizations that offer abortions from receiving Medicaid reimbursements for other reproductive health services. The provision is so narrowly tailored – it only applies to organizations that received more than $1m in Medicaid reimbursements – that it would only affect Planned Parenthood. 'Plain and simple, this reconciliation bill is about attacking Planned Parenthood,' Alexis McGill Johnson, CEO and president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement. If the tax bill passes as is, Planned Parenthood of Greater New York would lose about $20m and be forced to close clinics, according to Wendy Stark, the affiliate's CEO and president. 'Here we are, a few years post-Dobbs, and you're seeing health providers in [abortion] access states really struggle financially,' Stark said, referring to Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health, the supreme court decision that overturned Roe. 'That's not an accident, right? What's going on currently with the administration has been layered on top of existing threats and challenges.' Planned Parenthood of Greater New York is currently looking to sell its only Manhattan clinic. Medicaid and private insurance reimbursement rates, Stark said, were already too low, especially as the costs of medical supplies, insurance and rent have all risen in the years since the Covid pandemic. Last year, it cost the affiliate about $67m to provide healthcare services, but it only received about $36m in insurance reimbursements, she added. It shuttered four clinics in 2024.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump, frustrated with some judges, lashes out at former ally and conservative activist Leonard Leo
NEW YORK (AP) — Conservative legal activist Leonard Leo helped President Donald Trump transform the federal judiciary in his first term. He closely advised Trump on his Supreme Court picks and is widely credited as the architect of the conservative majority responsible for overturning Roe v. Wade. But Trump last week lashed out at Leo, blaming his former adviser and the group Leo used to head for encouraging him to appoint judges who are now blocking his agenda. Trump called Leo, the former longtime leader of the conservative Federalist Society, a 'real 'sleazebag'' and 'bad person who, in his own way, probably hates America.' Trump's broadsides came after a three-judge panel at the U.S. Court of International Trade blocked his sweeping tariffs, ruling that he had overstepped his authority when he invoked the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act to declare a national emergency and levy tariffs on imports from almost every country in the world. While an appeals court soon intervened and allowed the administration to continue collecting the tariffs while the legal fight plays out, the decision — and Trump's fury at Leo — underscored the extent to which the judiciary is serving as a rare check on Trump's power as he pushes the bounds of executive authority. The judiciary has intervened as he has ordered mass deportations, deep cuts to university funding and the firing of federal workers en masse. Trump's words reflect his broad frustrations with the judiciary, including members of the Supreme Court he appointed on Leo's recommendation, who have allowed some of his more controversial efforts to move forward, but blocked others. Trump's rhetoric also appeared to be a tactic to shift blame for setbacks to his agenda — this time notably pointing the finger at a person who once helped Trump build credibility with conservative voters. But it's unclear what — if anything — Leo had to do with the tariff decision. Leo said that neither he nor the Federalist Society was involved in shaping appointments to the trade court. He offered only praise for Trump. 'I'm very grateful for President Trump transforming the Federal Courts, and it was a privilege being involved," he said in a statement. "There's more work to be done, for sure, but the Federal Judiciary is better than it's ever been in modern history, and that will be President Trump's most important legacy.' Trump's attacks Trump's fury came via Truth Social after the court tried to halt the central plank of the president's economic agenda: sweeping tariffs that have rattled global financial markets, dismayed longtime trading partners, and prompted warnings about higher prices and inflation. In response, Trump issued a lengthy and angry missive criticizing the judges behind the decision, accusing them of 'destroying America' and saying he hoped the Supreme Court would quickly reverse "this horrible, Country threatening decision." Trump then referred to his first term as president, saying he 'was new to Washington, and it was suggested that I use The Federalist Society as a recommending source on Judges. I did so, openly and freely, but then realized that they were under the thumb of a real 'sleazebag' named Leonard Leo, a bad person who, in his own way, probably hates America, and obviously has his own separate ambitions.' 'I am so disappointed in The Federalist Society because of the bad advice they gave me on numerous Judicial Nominations," he wrote. "This is something that cannot be forgotten!' He added: 'Backroom 'hustlers' must not be allowed to destroy our Nation!' Some conservatives, including legal scholars, have been among those pushing back against Trump's trade wars, arguing the Constitution makes clear the power of the purse belongs to Congress, not the president. In April, the New Civil Liberties Alliance, a nonprofit group that Bloomberg Law reported is affiliated with Leo and Charles Koch, filed a separate lawsuit challenging Trump's tariffs on Chinese imports, also accusing him of acting in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. That move earned the ire of prominent Trump backers like Laura Loomer, who accused both Leo and the Federalist Society of working to undermine the president. The panel Trump assailed included judges appointed by Presidents Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan, as well as Timothy Reif, whom Trump nominated to the trade court during his first term. Reif, a Democrat, had previously worked for the U.S. Trade Representative in both the Obama and Trump administrations. In a questionnaire submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee as part of his confirmation process, Reif described working on a long list of Democratic campaigns. He volunteered on Edward Kennedy's presidential campaign in 1980, driving the press van in Kennedy's motorcade. He served as press secretary for John Lindsay's Senate campaign in 1980 and volunteered for New Jersey Rep. Rush Holt's reelection effort in 2000, when his responsibilities included 'driving and accompanying candidate's mother to campaign events.' He also volunteered for John Kerry in 2024 and Obama in 2008, and donated small amounts years ago to the Clintons and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. He appears to have participated in one Federalist Society-affiliated event: a panel on international trade in 2011 held by the Georgetown Law Student Chapter. The Federalist Society and Reif did not respond to requests for comment Friday. The White House did not respond to questions about why Trump blamed Leo and the Federalist Society for the decision, but Taylor Rogers, a White House spokesperson, doubled down, calling Leo 'a bad person who cares more about his personal ambitions than our country.' 'These judges must ditch their corrupt allegiance to Leonard and do the right thing for the American people before they completely destroy the credibility of our judicial branch,' she said. Who is Leonard Leo? Leo is not a household name, but few people have done more to advance conservative legal causes in the U.S. via a sprawling network of conservative groups. Decades ago, he began to execute a plan to build a pipeline for conservative talent, working to identify, support and promote law school students and lawyers who shared his originalist view of the Constitution, and helping them reach the nation's most powerful courts. Such efforts have reshaped the courts and Republican politics, culminating in Trump's first term with the appointment of three conservative Supreme Court justices. Leo's work also has prompted protests outside his home. The Federalist Society got its start on college campuses when Reagan was president. It was conceived as a way to counter what its members saw as liberal domination of the nation's law-school faculties. During his 2016 campaign, as Trump worked to win over social conservatives wary of electing a thrice-married New York businessman, he promised that the Federalist Society would oversee his judicial nominations, assuring their non-liberal bona fides. 'We're going to have great judges, conservative, all picked by the Federalist Society,' Trump told Breitbart News radio. And indeed, all three of the Supreme Court Justices Trump went on to nominate had appeared on a list famously compiled by Leo, who took a leave of absence as executive vice president of the society to serve as an outside adviser in the selection process. Leo has since stepped back from the Federalist Society and is now working to extend his reach beyond the courts with the Teneo Network, which he has described as an effort to 'crush liberal dominance' and create pipelines of conservative talent "in all sectors of American life,' including Hollywood, entertainment, business and finance.
Washington Post
2 days ago
- Business
- Washington Post
Trump, frustrated with some judges, lashes out at former ally and conservative activist Leonard Leo
NEW YORK — Conservative legal activist Leonard Leo helped President Donald Trump transform the federal judiciary in his first term. He closely advised Trump on his Supreme Court picks and is widely credited as the architect of the conservative majority responsible for overturning Roe v. Wade. But Trump last week lashed out at Leo, blaming his former adviser and the group Leo used to head for encouraging him to appoint judges who are now blocking his agenda. Trump called Leo, the former longtime leader of the conservative Federalist Society, a 'real 'sleazebag'' and 'bad person who, in his own way, probably hates America.' Trump's broadsides came after a three-judge panel at the U.S. Court of International Trade blocked his sweeping tariffs, ruling that he had overstepped his authority when he invoked the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act to declare a national emergency and levy tariffs on imports from almost every country in the world. While an appeals court soon intervened and allowed the administration to continue collecting the tariffs while the legal fight plays out, the decision — and Trump's fury at Leo — underscored the extent to which the judiciary is serving as a rare check on Trump's power as he pushes the bounds of executive authority. The judiciary has intervened as he has ordered mass deportations, deep cuts to university funding and the firing of federal workers en masse. Trump's words reflect his broad frustrations with the judiciary, including members of the Supreme Court he appointed on Leo's recommendation, who have allowed some of his more controversial efforts to move forward, but blocked others. Trump's rhetoric also appeared to be a tactic to shift blame for setbacks to his agenda — this time notably pointing the finger at a person who once helped Trump build credibility with conservative voters. But it's unclear what — if anything — Leo had to do with the tariff decision. Leo said that neither he nor the Federalist Society was involved in shaping appointments to the trade court. He offered only praise for Trump. 'I'm very grateful for President Trump transforming the Federal Courts, and it was a privilege being involved,' he said in a statement. 'There's more work to be done, for sure, but the Federal Judiciary is better than it's ever been in modern history, and that will be President Trump's most important legacy.' Trump's fury came via Truth Social after the court tried to halt the central plank of the president's economic agenda: sweeping tariffs that have rattled global financial markets, dismayed longtime trading partners, and prompted warnings about higher prices and inflation. In response, Trump issued a lengthy and angry missive criticizing the judges behind the decision, accusing them of 'destroying America' and saying he hoped the Supreme Court would quickly reverse 'this horrible, Country threatening decision.' Trump then referred to his first term as president, saying he 'was new to Washington, and it was suggested that I use The Federalist Society as a recommending source on Judges. I did so, openly and freely, but then realized that they were under the thumb of a real 'sleazebag' named Leonard Leo, a bad person who, in his own way, probably hates America, and obviously has his own separate ambitions.' 'I am so disappointed in The Federalist Society because of the bad advice they gave me on numerous Judicial Nominations,' he wrote. 'This is something that cannot be forgotten!' He added: 'Backroom 'hustlers' must not be allowed to destroy our Nation!' Some conservatives, including legal scholars, have been among those pushing back against Trump's trade wars, arguing the Constitution makes clear the power of the purse belongs to Congress, not the president. In April, the New Civil Liberties Alliance, a nonprofit group that Bloomberg Law reported is affiliated with Leo and Charles Koch, filed a separate lawsuit challenging Trump's tariffs on Chinese imports , also accusing him of acting in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. That move earned the ire of prominent Trump backers like Laura Loomer, who accused both Leo and the Federalist Society of working to undermine the president. The panel Trump assailed included judges appointed by Presidents Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan, as well as Timothy Reif, whom Trump nominated to the trade court during his first term. Reif, a Democrat, had previously worked for the U.S. Trade Representative in both the Obama and Trump administrations. In a questionnaire submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee as part of his confirmation process, Reif described working on a long list of Democratic campaigns. He volunteered on Edward Kennedy's presidential campaign in 1980, driving the press van in Kennedy's motorcade. He served as press secretary for John Lindsay's Senate campaign in 1980 and volunteered for New Jersey Rep. Rush Holt's reelection effort in 2000, when his responsibilities included 'driving and accompanying candidate's mother to campaign events.' He also volunteered for John Kerry in 2024 and Obama in 2008, and donated small amounts years ago to the Clintons and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. He appears to have participated in one Federalist Society-affiliated event : a panel on international trade in 2011 held by the Georgetown Law Student Chapter. The Federalist Society and Reif did not respond to requests for comment Friday. The White House did not respond to questions about why Trump blamed Leo and the Federalist Society for the decision, but Taylor Rogers, a White House spokesperson, doubled down, calling Leo 'a bad person who cares more about his personal ambitions than our country.' 'These judges must ditch their corrupt allegiance to Leonard and do the right thing for the American people before they completely destroy the credibility of our judicial branch,' she said. Leo is not a household name, but few people have done more to advance conservative legal causes in the U.S. via a sprawling network of conservative groups. Decades ago, he began to execute a plan to build a pipeline for conservative talent, working to identify, support and promote law school students and lawyers who shared his originalist view of the Constitution, and helping them reach the nation's most powerful courts. Such efforts have reshaped the courts and Republican politics , culminating in Trump's first term with the appointment of three conservative Supreme Court justices . Leo's work also has prompted protests outside his home. The Federalist Society got its start on college campuses when Reagan was president. It was conceived as a way to counter what its members saw as liberal domination of the nation's law-school faculties. During his 2016 campaign, as Trump worked to win over social conservatives wary of electing a thrice-married New York businessman, he promised that the Federalist Society would oversee his judicial nominations, assuring their non-liberal bona fides. 'We're going to have great judges, conservative, all picked by the Federalist Society,' Trump told Breitbart News radio. And indeed, all three of the Supreme Court Justices Trump went on to nominate had appeared on a list famously compiled by Leo, who took a leave of absence as executive vice president of the society to serve as an outside adviser in the selection process. Leo has since stepped back from the Federalist Society and is now working to extend his reach beyond the courts with the Teneo Network , which he has described as an effort to 'crush liberal dominance' and create pipelines of conservative talent 'in all sectors of American life,' including Hollywood, entertainment, business and finance.
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Trump, frustrated with some judges, lashes out at former ally and conservative activist Leonard Leo
NEW YORK (AP) — Conservative legal activist Leonard Leo helped President Donald Trump transform the federal judiciary in his first term. He closely advised Trump on his Supreme Court picks and is widely credited as the architect of the conservative majority responsible for overturning Roe v. Wade. But Trump last week lashed out at Leo, blaming his former adviser and the group Leo used to head for encouraging him to appoint judges who are now blocking his agenda. Trump called Leo, the former longtime leader of the conservative Federalist Society, a 'real 'sleazebag'' and 'bad person who, in his own way, probably hates America.' Trump's broadsides came after a three-judge panel at the U.S. Court of International Trade blocked his sweeping tariffs, ruling that he had overstepped his authority when he invoked the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act to declare a national emergency and levy tariffs on imports from almost every country in the world. While an appeals court soon intervened and allowed the administration to continue collecting the tariffs while the legal fight plays out, the decision — and Trump's fury at Leo — underscored the extent to which the judiciary is serving as a rare check on Trump's power as he pushes the bounds of executive authority. The judiciary has intervened as he has ordered mass deportations, deep cuts to university funding and the firing of federal workers en masse. Trump's words reflect his broad frustrations with the judiciary, including members of the Supreme Court he appointed on Leo's recommendation, who have allowed some of his more controversial efforts to move forward, but blocked others. Trump's rhetoric also appeared to be a tactic to shift blame for setbacks to his agenda — this time notably pointing the finger at a person who once helped Trump build credibility with conservative voters. But it's unclear what — if anything — Leo had to do with the tariff decision. Leo said that neither he nor the Federalist Society was involved in shaping appointments to the trade court. He offered only praise for Trump. 'I'm very grateful for President Trump transforming the Federal Courts, and it was a privilege being involved,' he said in a statement. 'There's more work to be done, for sure, but the Federal Judiciary is better than it's ever been in modern history, and that will be President Trump's most important legacy.' Trump's attacks Trump's fury came via Truth Social after the court tried to halt the central plank of the president's economic agenda: sweeping tariffs that have rattled global financial markets, dismayed longtime trading partners, and prompted warnings about higher prices and inflation. In response, Trump issued a lengthy and angry missive criticizing the judges behind the decision, accusing them of 'destroying America' and saying he hoped the Supreme Court would quickly reverse 'this horrible, Country threatening decision.' Trump then referred to his first term as president, saying he 'was new to Washington, and it was suggested that I use The Federalist Society as a recommending source on Judges. I did so, openly and freely, but then realized that they were under the thumb of a real 'sleazebag' named Leonard Leo, a bad person who, in his own way, probably hates America, and obviously has his own separate ambitions.' 'I am so disappointed in The Federalist Society because of the bad advice they gave me on numerous Judicial Nominations,' he wrote. 'This is something that cannot be forgotten!' He added: 'Backroom 'hustlers' must not be allowed to destroy our Nation!' Some conservatives, including legal scholars, have been among those pushing back against Trump's trade wars, arguing the Constitution makes clear the power of the purse belongs to Congress, not the president. In April, the New Civil Liberties Alliance, a nonprofit group that Bloomberg Law reported is affiliated with Leo and Charles Koch, filed a separate lawsuit challenging Trump's tariffs on Chinese imports, also accusing him of acting in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. That move earned the ire of prominent Trump backers like Laura Loomer, who accused both Leo and the Federalist Society of working to undermine the president. The panel Trump assailed included judges appointed by Presidents Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan, as well as Timothy Reif, whom Trump nominated to the trade court during his first term. Reif, a Democrat, had previously worked for the U.S. Trade Representative in both the Obama and Trump administrations. In a questionnaire submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee as part of his confirmation process, Reif described working on a long list of Democratic campaigns. He volunteered on Edward Kennedy's presidential campaign in 1980, driving the press van in Kennedy's motorcade. He served as press secretary for John Lindsay's Senate campaign in 1980 and volunteered for New Jersey Rep. Rush Holt's reelection effort in 2000, when his responsibilities included 'driving and accompanying candidate's mother to campaign events.' He also volunteered for John Kerry in 2024 and Obama in 2008, and donated small amounts years ago to the Clintons and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. He appears to have participated in one Federalist Society-affiliated event: a panel on international trade in 2011 held by the Georgetown Law Student Chapter. The Federalist Society and Reif did not respond to requests for comment Friday. The White House did not respond to questions about why Trump blamed Leo and the Federalist Society for the decision, but Taylor Rogers, a White House spokesperson, doubled down, calling Leo 'a bad person who cares more about his personal ambitions than our country.' 'These judges must ditch their corrupt allegiance to Leonard and do the right thing for the American people before they completely destroy the credibility of our judicial branch,' she said. Who is Leonard Leo? Leo is not a household name, but few people have done more to advance conservative legal causes in the U.S. via a sprawling network of conservative groups. Decades ago, he began to execute a plan to build a pipeline for conservative talent, working to identify, support and promote law school students and lawyers who shared his originalist view of the Constitution, and helping them reach the nation's most powerful courts. Such efforts have reshaped the courts and Republican politics, culminating in Trump's first term with the appointment of three conservative Supreme Court justices. Leo's work also has prompted protests outside his home. The Federalist Society got its start on college campuses when Reagan was president. It was conceived as a way to counter what its members saw as liberal domination of the nation's law-school faculties. During his 2016 campaign, as Trump worked to win over social conservatives wary of electing a thrice-married New York businessman, he promised that the Federalist Society would oversee his judicial nominations, assuring their non-liberal bona fides. 'We're going to have great judges, conservative, all picked by the Federalist Society,' Trump told Breitbart News radio. And indeed, all three of the Supreme Court Justices Trump went on to nominate had appeared on a list famously compiled by Leo, who took a leave of absence as executive vice president of the society to serve as an outside adviser in the selection process. Leo has since stepped back from the Federalist Society and is now working to extend his reach beyond the courts with the Teneo Network, which he has described as an effort to 'crush liberal dominance' and create pipelines of conservative talent 'in all sectors of American life,' including Hollywood, entertainment, business and finance.
