Trump Praises LA Prosecutor, Slams Court Ruling on Disputed Ballots

President Donald Trump has publicly praised Los Angeles' top federal prosecutor, Bill Essayli, while simultaneously criticizing a federal court ruling that rejected the Justice Department's attempt to set aside approximately 20,000 ballots in California. The president took to his Truth Social platform on Saturday to commend Essayli for his work on election fraud, calling him "one of the best, EVER!"

Trump's comments followed a series of legal setbacks for his administration concerning the California ballots. The Justice Department had sought to have ballots set aside that were associated with individuals suspected of not being U.S. citizens. The president argued that the court's decision rejected an effort to address election fraud.

"So, in Los Angeles, our Acting U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California... Bill Essayli, has done a fantastic job," Trump wrote. "He caught a massive number of Illegal Votes, 20,000, but potentially Hundreds of Thousands, and maybe even Millions, and the Court has just ruled against it."

The president also criticized the Senate confirmation process, referring to the "blue-slip" procedure as a "SCAM" that complicates the appointments of prosecutors like Essayli, whom he described as being targeted by "Trump Deranged Lunatics."

This legal battle intensified as the midterm elections approached, with the administration targeting disputed voter registrations in California. Trump vowed to continue the fight for "Election Integrity."

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday upheld a lower court's rejection of the Justice Department's emergency request. The appeals panel determined that there was no practical way to identify and isolate the disputed ballots without potentially disrupting the entire election system. A two-judge majority found that the administration failed to demonstrate a likelihood of success on the merits of its claim.

However, one judge dissented, arguing that California's refusal to segregate the ballots undermined federal efforts to prevent illegal voting. The administration had originally sued California after state officials declined to comply with the demand to review the names within the federal government's requested timeframe.

US District Judge David O. Carter had previously rejected the administration's request, warning that separating ballots could disrupt the election and disenfranchise eligible voters. The Justice Department had identified more than 20,000 individuals in California suspected of being noncitizens registered to vote, arguing their ballots should be set aside for verification.

Essayli has been a key figure in the administration's efforts. He previously stated that potentially ineligible voters could already be casting ballots as election workers processed mail-in votes. "Every minute that goes by, American citizen votes are being diluted in the state of California," Essayli said last week. "It’s an emergency, and we expect the courts to treat it as such."

Separately, Essayli is facing a legal challenge regarding his own role as acting U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California. Senior US District Judge J. Michael Seabright ruled that Essayli was unlawfully serving in that capacity, finding that the Trump administration had circumvented federal appointment requirements. This ruling, however, has been temporarily delayed pending appeal. Essayli has stated his intention to fight the ruling, believing the matter will ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court.