New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman warned Thursday evening on CNN that President Donald Trump is "playing a risky game" as he attacks a federal judge clashing with his Justice Department in a case over the deportation of hundreds of migrants.
Joining "Anderson Cooper 360," Haberman was asked where she felt the contentious legal showdown is headed following Trump's attack on the judge, calling his rulings "ridiculous, and inept."
"This is very much a fight the administration wants, to be clear, is over this specific case, " she said. "You heard what the attorney general said. She is describing this as a case of judges and Democrats and people who criticize what happened here, wanting alleged terrorists, although she just calls them 'terrorists,' to stay in the country."
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But the case is actually about due process, Haberman noted, which is why the judge "did what he did."
"Asking about an order not being followed is what any judge would do no matter who they had been appointed by," she said.
Haberman then turned to Trump's attack on the judge.
"I actually think that what Trump said — yes, that was clearly an attack on Judge [Jeb] Boasberg, there's no question about that — he's playing a very risky game, because judges don't like attacks on other judges," she added.
Trump's latest attack curiously omitted one key MAGA call, however.
"He did not repeat the impeachment point. And I think that is the key point there. I think he is trying to show he is still issuing a pressure campaign, he always does, we are going to continue to see him do that. His calls for Congress to impeach judges — which is very hard to make happen — has upset some of his own staff and it has upset leaders in the Senate and in the House, Republican leaders in the Senate and in the House, so I think that this is him saying, 'fine I hear you' — at least for now."
