Trump’s own words cited by judges

Donald Trump’s words are coming back to haunt him.

Judges in Maryland and Hawaii used the president’s own words as evidence that his revised travel ban discriminates against Muslims.

In Honolulu, U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson cited “significant and unrebutted evidence of religious animus” behind the U.S. government’s revised travel ban against six predominantly Muslim countries, dealing Trump a major setback on one of his top policy initiatives.

The judge noted that while courts should not examine the “veiled psyche” and “secret motives” of government decision-makers, “the remarkable facts at issue here require no such impermissible inquiry.”

“For instance, there is nothing ‘veiled’ about this press release: ‘Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States’ ” said the judge, referring to a statement Trump issued as a candidate.

“These plainly worded statements betray the executive order’s stated secular purpose.”

Thursday, in Greenbelt, Md., U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang — who was appointed by then-president Barack Obama — called Trump’s own statements about barring Muslims from entering the United States “highly relevant.”

The second executive order removed a preference for religious minorities from the affected countries, among other changes that the Justice Department argued would address the legal concerns surrounding the first ban, which was also blocked in court.

“Despite these changes, the history of public statements continues to provide a convincing case that the purpose of the Second Executive Order remains the realization of the long-envisioned Muslim ban,” Chuang said.

Speaking Wednesday evening at a rally in Nashville, Trump called the ruling in Hawaii an example of “unprecedented judicial overreach” and said his administration would appeal it to the U.S. Supreme Court. He also called his new travel ban a watered-down version of the first one, which he said he wished he could implement.

“We’re going to win. We’re going to keep our citizens safe,” the president said.

“The danger is clear. The law is clear. The need for my executive order is clear.”