The White House posted and then rushed to delete an hour-long recording of President Donald Trump lashing out at Supreme Court justices after they tore apart his birthright citizenship case—but not before a reporter saved the embarrassing footage for posterity.
The damning video captured Trump privately hosting MAGA pastors and religious allies on Wednesday for an Easter luncheon at the White House, where the 79-year-old president let loose about his true feelings regarding the justices who had grilled his administration hours earlier. The event was never meant to be seen by the public, and Trump clearly thought the cameras weren’t rolling when he made several explosive remarks during what was supposed to be a gathering focused on the story of Jesus Christ.
Instead, Trump turned the Easter event into a rant session about the Supreme Court justices who dared to question his executive order attempting to end birthright citizenship in the United States. The president had left oral arguments at the court on Wednesday after his Solicitor General, D. John Sauer, made 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 irritation stemmed from Wednesday’s Supreme Court hearing on his day-one executive order ending 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: “It’s the same Constitution.”
Trump arrived at the Supreme Court with 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.
After leaving the court, Trump took to Truth Social with a false claim about the policy. “We are the only Country in the World STUPID enough to allow ‘Birthright’ Citizenship!” the president posted. The statement is simply 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.
Adding to the surreal nature 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.
Vice President JD Vance has not commented publicly on the deleted video or the Supreme Court hearing. The White House has not explained why it posted and then deleted the footage, or whether anyone will face consequences for the error.