A shell of themselves: Trump criticized the Supreme Court for voting by mail, the Prosecutor General’s Office rejects the Russian money scandal

Washington: U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche defended President Donald Trump’s criticism of the Supreme Court after the justices blocked the administration’s attempt to impose new restrictions on mail-in voting ahead of the November midterm elections.

He said the Trump administration will follow a court ruling that prevents the administration from enacting new mail requirements for this year’s election. At the same time, he supported the president’s right to criticize the judges who made this decision.

“Of course we are going to comply with the Supreme Court’s decision,” he told reporters on Tuesday (September 15), a day after the court rejected the administration’s request to put the new rules into effect.

The Supreme Court’s decision upheld a lower court ruling blocking parts of Trump’s March order on mail-in voting. The proposed changes would require states to provide voter-related information and use Postal Service-approved barcoded ballot envelopes. The justices found there was not enough time to make changes before the Nov. 3 midterm elections.

Trump responded by attacking the Supreme Court, including the three justices (Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett) he appointed during his first presidency.

“The Radical Left is bullying and cajoling this Supreme Court into making decisions that have set America back at least a century. These are not the same people I interviewed to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States, they are a shell of their former selves,” he wrote on Truth Social.

He also wrote: “The Supreme Court has truly failed our country! Some justices are horrified by these crazy and depraved Democrats and are completely unable to show the courage needed to save our America.”

Blanche supported the president’s decision to speak publicly about the decision.

“As for President Trump’s truth about the judges, he is very disappointed. He has every right. And indeed, he should bring his concerns to the Supreme Court whenever he has them,” he said.

The court’s decision means states can continue preparing for midterm elections under existing mail-in voting procedures. The decision also ends immediate legal uncertainty over whether the administration will be able to implement new federal mail requirements before the election.

He also said the administration’s efforts to change election rules will continue after the midterm elections in November.

“President Trump’s efforts to ensure a free and fair election will not stop in November, or after, or beyond. So I expect you will see that work continue,” he said.

The comments signal a long-term effort by the Trump administration to change how federal and state election systems work. The vote-by-mail case is one of several legal disputes surrounding the administration’s approach to election rules ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

The Supreme Court has previously delivered major victories for Trump. In 2024, he ruled that presidents have immunity from prosecution for official acts committed while in office. Most recently, judges allowed construction work to continue on Trump’s planned White House ballroom after conservation groups sought court intervention.

Blanche also faced questions from the White House over reports that Russian businessman Umar Kremlev paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to celebrate Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding in the Bahamas.

ProPublica reported that the Kremlin, who heads the International Boxing Association and has close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, paid for expenses including rent for a private island and other parts of the wedding weekend. Trump Jr. and his wife Bettina Trump later confirmed Kremlev’s contribution and called it a generous gift from a friend.

Asked if the Justice Department was investigating the case, Blanche responded, “When you say, ‘I’m investigating?’ What am I investigating?

Blanche also said, “The President doesn’t know who this person is. I think the other family members don’t know who this person is.”

Trump Jr. and Bettina Trump rejected suggestions that the payment was politically motivated. In their statement, they called Kremlev their “dear friend” and described the donation as “an extremely generous wedding gift from a friend.”

“Friendship does not require political motives. Generosity does not automatically come with an agenda,” they said, adding: “NO CONSPIRACY, NO SECRET.”

Democrats in Congress also questioned the payment. House Oversight Committee Democrat Robert Garcia asked what the Kremlin expected in exchange for spending the money, while other Democrats asked for more details about the relationship. Reuters reported that lawmakers are studying the payments and their possible consequences.

The Kremlin’s connection with Putin is also documented. ProPublica reported that Putin awarded him the Order of Friendship in April and that the Kremlin traveled to China with the Russian president in May. He also led the International Boxing Association, an organization that lost recognition from the International Olympic Committee in 2023 over issues of governance and financial transparency.

Blanche rejected the need for a Justice Department investigation into the wedding financing.

“I like that it’s fun to talk about this issue and the rhetoric around it, but I think all the relevant people, the president, his children, have already touched on this topic,” he said.