'Rogue' Obama judge's smackdown of Trump election rules provokes ominous warning from White House deputy

By Fox News · Fox News

An Obama-appointed federal judge on Tuesday struck down key parts of President Donald Trump's election integrity executive order, prompting a stark warning from White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller about the judiciary's course. U.S. District Judge Denise J. Casper ruled that major sections of Trump's March 25, 2025, executive order, titled "Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections," exceeded presidential authority and violated the Constitution's separation of powers. Casper found that the order went beyond enforcing existing law and instead attempted to create or change election rules on its own. "While the Constitution vests the President with 'executive Power' and commands him to 'take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed'... it does not grant the President any specific powers over elections," Casper wrote in the ruling. "As a result, the President 'plays no direct role in the process' of appointing electors, 'nor does he have authority to control the state officials who do.'" In response, Miller posted on social media that he hoped Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts "understands the path these rogue judges have charted for the judiciary." FEDERAL JUDGE STRIKES DOWN PARTS OF TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER ON CITIZENSHIP VERIFICATION FOR VOTER REGISTRATION The chief justice serves as the institutional head of the federal judiciary, and while he does not exercise direct authority over lower-court judges, Miller’s reference to Roberts echoed broader conservative criticism that the Supreme Court has not moved aggressively enough to curb lower-court rulings blocking Trump administration policies. Casper previously issued a preliminary injunction blocking key provisions of the order while the lawsuit played out in court. After more than a year of litigation, the judge on Tuesday largely sided with the plaintiff states. The lawsuit was brought by 19 states challenging the order and was heard in the U.S. District Court for the District…