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President Donald Trump lashed out against conservative legal activist Leonard Leo yesterday, lambasting the former head of the Federalist Society as “a real ‘sleazebag’” and “a bad person who, in his own way, probably hates America,” in a post to his Truth Social platform.

The post followed a three-judge panel – including a judge he appointed to the bench – blocking enforcement of his administration’s tariffs Wednesday night. An appeals court the next day temporarily reinstated the administration’s powers to levy broad tariffs while the case is pending.

“[Leo] openly brags how he controls Judges, and even Justices of the United States Supreme Court – I hope that is not so, and don’t believe it is!” Trump wrote. “In any event, Leo left The Federalist Society to do his own ‘thing.’ I am so disappointed in The Federalist Society because of the bad advice they gave me on numerous Judicial Nominations.”

Leo and the Federalist Society were instrumental during Trump’s first term in assembling a list of conservative judges for judicial appointments. In a 2016 interview, Trump touted his work with the organization, telling a conservative radio host he “actually got the names from the Federalist [Society], and that’s considered pretty much the gold standard.”

And in 2019 remarks marking his administration’s judicial confirmations, Trump offered effusive praise for Leo’s work with the administration on confirming conservative judges.

“We had a list that you worked on very hard, and others, and it did have an impact, it really did have an impact on the election,” Trump said at the time.

But yesterday, Trump seemed to have soured on his work with Leo and the Federalist Society, blaming the conservative group for suggesting judges who’ve blocked parts of his domestic agenda in court.

In a statement responding to Trump’s post, Leo wrote: “I’m very grateful for President Trump transforming the Federal Courts, and it was a privilege being involved. 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.”

Still, Trump’s ire for the group did not seem to extend to his more recent judicial picks. Of the six judicial nominees he announced Wednesday, two – Ed Artau and Jordan Pratt – are Federalist Society members.