The President of the United States publicly attacked his former advisor, conservative lawyer Leonard Leo, calling him a “sleazebag.” As seen below on social media, President Trump wrote that Leo “goes around telling everyone how he has the Legal System RIGGED. I hope that’s not true, and, if it is, it should be thoroughly looked into. Leonard has a big and very dangerous mouth!”
Note: Leo, co-chair of the Federalist Society, assisted Clarence Thomas in his Supreme Court confirmation hearings and led campaigns to support the nominations of Chief Justice John Roberts, Samuel Alito, and President Trump’s three successful nominations — Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett.
Politico’s senior legal affairs reporter Josh Gerstein responded to Trump’s post by writing: “Trump takes another hard shot at former adviser and conservative legal activist Leonard Leo. Unclear what prompted. Last time it was fears of losing tariffs case at #SCOTUS.”
[Note: The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed California’s newly drawn congressional districts to stand.]
Is Trump finally figuring out that the Koch operation (Leo/McGahn) really picked “his” Supreme Court justices; that Trump was their chump.
Trump the chump! Hysterical. https://t.co/eFf9GELYbt
— Sheldon Whitehouse (@SenWhitehouse) February 4, 2026
U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) replied to Gerstein: “Is Trump finally figuring out that the Koch operation (Leo/McGahn) really picked ‘his’ Supreme Court justices; that Trump was their chump. Trump the chump! Hysterical.”
Whitehouse added: “Wait til Trump figures out that Leo’s little buddy Mark Paoletta is in the White House, right now, at OMB. Paoletta was even in the Leo/Crow/Thomas painting! This is rich.”
[Note: There is a photo-realistic painting that depicts Leo and Paoletta with Clarence Thomas, lawyer Peter Rutledge and billionaire Republican donor Harlan Crow sitting outdoors in wooden chairs at Crow’s upstate New York compound, where the painting hangs.]
Mark Paoletta served as chief counsel and assistant to Vice President Mike Pence during the first Trump administration, and currently serves as General Counsel for the Office of Management and Budget.
Note: Paoletta represented Mrs. Thomas when she was asked to testify before the House Select Committee investigating the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, after they saw her text messages to Trump’s White House chief of staff at the time, Mark Meadows, in which she urged on efforts to challenge Biden’s presidential election victory.