The White House published and subsequently hurried to remove an extended video recording of President Donald Trump criticizing Supreme Court justices following their harsh questioning of his birthright citizenship matter—however, a journalist preserved the awkward footage before it disappeared.
The incriminating recording showed Trump privately entertaining MAGA pastors and religious supporters on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, during an Easter luncheon at the White House, where the 79-year-old president vented his genuine opinions about the justices who had challenged his administration earlier that day. The gathering was never intended for public viewing, and Trump obviously believed the cameras were off when he delivered multiple inflammatory comments during what should have been an event centered on the story of Jesus Christ.
Rather than focusing on Easter, Trump transformed the religious event into a tirade about the Supreme Court justices who had the audacity to challenge his executive order seeking to eliminate birthright citizenship in the United States.
The president departed oral arguments at the court on Wednesday following his Solicitor General, D. John Sauer, making his case before the justices. Trump became the first sitting president to attend Supreme Court oral arguments, but he didn’t stay through the entire hearing—exiting about halfway through after several conservative justices expressed deep skepticism of his administration’s position.
Business Insider reporter Bryan Metzger saved the footage online before the White House could scrub it from official pages, preserving Trump’s unfiltered complaints about the justices for the world to see. The White House scrambled to delete the recording once officials realized their mistake, but the damage was already done.
The president’s frustration originated from Wednesday’s Supreme Court hearing regarding his day-one executive order eliminating birthright citizenship. Chief Justice John Roberts, along with Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett—both Trump appointees—made a series of critical observations and posed probing questions that signaled they were troubled by the executive order. When Sauer argued “we’re in a new world now,” Roberts shot back, “Well, it’s a new world. It’s the same Constitution.”
Trump arrived at the Supreme Court with now fired Attorney General Pam Bondi and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick for the historic hearing. The president seeks to end birthright citizenship for babies born in the United States to parents who are in the country illegally or temporarily. But the justices, including his own appointees, raised serious constitutional concerns about the sweeping change.
Following his departure from the court, Trump posted to Truth Social with an inaccurate assertion about the policy. “We are the only Country in the World STUPID enough to allow ‘Birthright’ Citizenship!” the president posted. The statement is not true—32 other countries have birthright citizenship laws substantially similar to the United States, including Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina, according to a Pew Research Center analysis.
The Supreme Court will release its opinion at the end of the term in June or early July. The decision will either deliver a strong rebuke of the Trump administration or represent a dramatic reimagining of the U.S. Constitution and the citizenship clause in the 14th Amendment, which states: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”
Should the court rule in favor of Trump, despite the justices’ skepticism, the decision would have dramatic implications for immigrants and their families for generations to come.
Contributing to the bizarre atmosphere of Wednesday’s hearing, actor Robert De Niro, 82, sat in the same crowded courtroom as President Trump and some of his closest advisors. The Oscar-winning actor and fierce Trump critic sat in seats reserved for the justices’ guests. When asked about the experience afterward, De Niro offered a cryptic response: “I’m not sure because I could hear, but not hear. It’s complicated. So, I can’t say.”
The leaked Easter luncheon footage represents another embarrassing moment for the White House, which has struggled to control the president’s off-the-cuff remarks and manage his public image. The video revealed Trump’s private frustrations with the judicial branch at a time when his administration desperately needs the Supreme Court’s support for one of his signature policy goals.
The White House has not explained why it posted and then deleted the footage, or whether anyone will face consequences for the error.
