White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Thursday, May 29, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)AP

Ty Cobb, a former White House lawyer during Donald Trump’s first term, pulled no punches when talking about current press secretary Karoline Leavitt this week.

Leavitt ripped the U.S. Court of International Trade’s three judges on Thursday. She called them “activist judges” and said they were using their power to “usurp the authority of President Trump.”

“There is a troubling and dangerous trend of unelected judges inserting themselves into the presidential decision-making process,” Leavitt said. “America cannot function if President Trump or any other president for that matter has their sensitive diplomatic or trade negotiations railroaded by activist judges.”

Her remarks came after the judges paused Trump’s tariffs on Wednesday.

Cobb responded during an appearance on CNN’s Erin Burnett “OutFront.” Cobb said that Leavitt’s comments were so “ill-informed” that “people might largely (tune) her out.”

“I don’t think creepy Karoline — when she speaks — I don’t think anybody in America really takes her seriously on a matter of substance,” he said. “I mean, she’s not learned by any imagination.”

Cobb told CNN that the courts were not attempting to take part in international trade, but were ruling on whether the statute authorizes actions by the president, per HuffPost.

“The statue in question has never in history been used in connection with tariffs,” he said. “So, I think the likelihood is that this statute will be upheld and enforced in a way that precludes the president from trying to pretend that he has these all-encompassing powers.”

Leavitt has not responded to Cobb’s comments.