A reporter managed to preserve embarrassing video footage of President Donald Trump ranting about Supreme Court justices before the White House could delete it from official pages, capturing the 79-year-old commander-in-chief’s unfiltered reaction to a disastrous day in court.
Business Insider reporter Bryan Metzger saved the recording online before officials could scrub it. The White House scrambled to remove the video after realizing the mistake, but the effort came too late.
The recording captured Trump hosting MAGA pastors and religious allies at an Easter luncheon on April 1, 2026. The gathering was supposed to focus on the story of Jesus Christ, but Trump instead unleashed explosive remarks about justices who had grilled his administration hours earlier. The president clearly believed cameras weren’t rolling during what was meant to be a private event.
Trump’s anger stemmed from oral arguments earlier that day over his day-one executive order attempting to end birthright citizenship in the United States. The president became the first sitting commander-in-chief to attend Supreme Court oral arguments but left about halfway through after several conservative justices expressed deep skepticism of his administration’s legal position.
Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, the latter two being Trump appointees, posed probing questions and made critical observations signaling constitutional concerns about the executive order. When Solicitor General D. John 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 then-Attorney General Pam Bondi and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Bondi was fired by Trump the following day, April 2, and replaced by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche as acting attorney general. CNN reported that Trump had grown frustrated with Bondi over her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files and what he viewed as insufficient prosecution of political opponents.
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 raised serious constitutional concerns about the sweeping change.
Following his departure from the court, Trump posted a false claim to Truth Social about the policy. “We are the only Country in the World STUPID enough to allow ‘Birthright’ Citizenship!” the president wrote. The statement is inaccurate—32 other countries have birthright citizenship laws substantially similar to the United States, including Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina.
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.
Actor Robert De Niro, 82, sat in the same crowded courtroom as President Trump and some of his closest advisors during the historic hearing. The Oscar-winning actor and fierce Trump critic occupied a seat 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 at a time when his administration desperately needs the Supreme Court’s support for one of his signature policy goals. Officials have not explained why the video was posted and then deleted, or whether anyone will face consequences for the error.