The lawyer representing the state of Hawaii in the case challenging President Trump’s travel ban celebrated the president’s tweets Monday, saying lawyers for the plaintiffs “don’t need the help” of the president “but will take it.”
“Its kinda odd to have the defendant in Hawaii v. Trump acting as our co-counsel. We don’t need the help but will take it!” Neal Katyal said on Twitter.
Katyal, who served as the solicitor general under the Obama administration, is representing the state of Hawaii.
Its kinda odd to have the defendant in HawaiivTrump acting as our co-counsel.We don’t need the help but will take it! pic.twitter.com/8ehqkLkOY2
— Neal Katyal (@neal_katyal) June 5, 2017
The series of tweets Katyal was citing came Monday morning when the president criticized the Justice Department over the travel ban, which the courts have blocked.
Trump reiterated his executive order was a “travel ban,” and said the revised ban was a “watered down, politically correct” version of what he originally wanted to implement. He also urged the Department of Justice to “seek a much tougher version.”
The Justice Department asked the Supreme Court last week to uphold the constitutionality of the travel ban, which the lower courts have blocked, and allow the ban to be put in place.
