"Appeals court judges chosen by President Trump in his first term are reliably reversing rulings by district court judges in his second 133-12 in 2025, or 92% of the time, a New York Times tally finds.

Why it matters: These judges form "a nearly united phalanx to defend his agenda … clearing the way for his policies and gradually eroding a perception early last year that the legal system was thwarting his efforts to amass presidential power," The Times notes.

By the numbers: The Times analysis found that district courts ruled for Trump policies 25% of the time last year … appeals courts, 51% … and the Supreme Court, 88%

Trump appointees voted pro-Trump 92% of the time … other GOP appointees, 68% … and Democratic appointees, 27%.

Trump's long game: Leonard Leo, the Federalist Society co-chair who guided Trump's first-term judicial picks under the banner of "originalism," told The Times: "The Supreme Court's docket is so tiny, and there's so little attention paid to the appellate courts … Trump has filled them with these superstar judges. They're not buffoons. They're very effective. And they are going to be there for a long time."
Axios