President Donald Trump has sharply criticized the U.S. Supreme Court after the justices rejected his administration’s effort to impose new restrictions on mail-in voting ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The court’s Monday decision left in place a lower-court ruling that blocks the U.S. Postal Service from enforcing new rules adopted at Trump’s direction. The proposed changes would have introduced stricter requirements for mail ballots, including standardized ballot envelopes and voter information procedures.
Trump responded by accusing the Supreme Court of being “highly political” and argued that the decision undermined his efforts to address what he says are problems with mail-in voting. He has repeatedly claimed that tighter controls are necessary to prevent election fraud.
The ruling was especially notable because several justices who were appointed by Trump sided with the majority. Only Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented, supporting the administration’s position.
Trump has previously expressed frustration when his own appointees have ruled against his administration. His latest criticism again puts him at odds with members of a Supreme Court that has a conservative majority and includes three justices he nominated.
The administration’s rule was designed to tighten the way mail ballots are handled before the November midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress. Several states and voting-rights groups challenged the changes in court, arguing that the federal government was overstepping its authority over elections.
The Supreme Court did not issue a ruling on the underlying merits of the entire dispute. Instead, the justices declined to lift the lower-court order that had stopped the Postal Service from implementing the rule. Justice Brett Kavanaugh indicated that timing was a major concern because states were already preparing for the election.
Trump’s administration has argued that mail-in voting needs stronger safeguards, while opponents say the proposed changes could create confusion and interfere with legitimate voters’ ability to cast ballots. Existing mail-in voting procedures will remain in place for the upcoming midterms unless there is another legal or legislative change.
The decision is another setback for Trump’s effort to reshape federal election rules through the executive branch. It also opens a new political fight over the Supreme Court, with Trump making clear that he strongly disagrees with the justices’ decision.