Retired Justice Stevens: I Hope Trump Won't Do Too Much Damage to Courts

Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens told CNN on Tuesday that he hopes President Donald Trump “won’t do too much damage” to the nation’s courts.

“I hope he won’t do too much damage,” Stevens, who is promoting his new memoir, said in an interview with “New Day” co-anchor John Berman.

Trump has appointed several federal judges to lifetime terms, including two Supreme Court Justices, during his time in office, but Stevens said that the president does not understand the role of the judiciary despite “getting advice from people who are knowledgeable about judges.”

He added that he dislikes Trump’s use of the term “Obama judges” to refer to judges appointed by his predecessor or those who rule against his liking.

"I think he often speaks about them as Obama judges and other kinds of judges," Stevens said. "But I think [Chief Justice] John Roberts was dead right when he said that there are only one kind of judges and they're all working for the federal government."

Despite his concerns about the judiciary, Stevens said he does not agree with Democrats who have called to increase the number of seats on the Supreme Court.

"I don't think they should do that," he said. "I think in time the court will straighten itself out. It may take longer, but I don't think the answer is increasing the number of justices."

• Retired Justice John Paul Stevens: Second Amendment Should Be Repealed
• Ginsburg's Supreme Court Absence Not Yet as Long as Others