WH pushes against 'constitutional crisis' claims

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt pushed back against claims of a "constitutional crisis" in the Trump administration Wednesday, saying the real crisis is with judges blocking the president's "basic executive authority."

"Many outlets in this room have been fearmongering the American people into believing there is a constitutional crisis taking place here at the White House ... but in fact the real constitutional crisis is taking place within our judicial branch," she said at a White House press briefing.

President Donald Trump has taken steps to overhaul the federal government, but his efforts have been met with more than 50 lawsuits and with judges, so far, temporarily blocking some of his proposals. Top Trump administration officials, including billionaire Elon Musk and Vice President JD Vance, have questioned and criticized the judiciary’s authority to serve as a check on executive power.

"Seventy seven million Americans voted to elect this president, and each injunction is an abuse of the rule of law and an attempt to thwart the will of the people," Leavitt said.

America's democracy was built on a system of checks and balances with a fundamental principle of separation of powers.

The courts and Congress have served a long-standing check on the presidency.

Leavitt said the administration would comply with court rulings, but added that they would continue to work to overturn those injunctions

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