Legal battle over Trump's travel ban continues

BEIJING - "SEE YOU IN COURT," US President Donald Trump responded on Twitter after a federal appeals court on Thursday refused to reinstate his controversial travel ban.

Refusing to see it as a major setback for the White House, Trump vowed to win the battle in the end, further cracking up an already divided nation.

MORE PARTISAN BRAWL

In response to the court's unanimous vote of "3-0," Trump said it was a "political decision." The president later told reporters that his administration would win the case "very easily."

The new ruling to block Trump's order barring immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries was seen as a victory by Trump's challengers.

The governor of Washington state, which sued over the travel ban along with Minnesota, applauded the court's decision.

Responding to Trump's tweet of "SEE YOU IN COURT," Governor Jay Inslee, a Democrat, said, "Mr. President, we just saw you in court, and we beat you."

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra also pledged to fight on until the executive order was permanently dismantled.

The legal disputes over Trump's hardline policy seem to have further intensified clashes between Republicans and Democrats following a heated fray over Trump's cabinet picks and nominees for other key posts.

On Wednesday, the Senate confirmed Jeff Sessions as attorney general on a mostly party line vote of 52 to 47. Betsy DeVos was greenlighted Tuesday to head Trump's Department of Education after being rescued by Vice President Mike Pence's tie-breaker in a 51-50 vote.

Rex Tillerson, Trump's pick for secretary of state, was approved 56-43.

Such a divided Senate contrasts with the past 40 years, which saw most cabinet selections overwhelmingly approved.

The partisan tension added to Trump's frustration on delays to confirm his nominees. The new US leader tweeted Tuesday: "It is a disgrace that my full cabinet is still not in place, the longest such delay in the history of our country. Obstruction by Democrats!"

As a rebuttal, Democratic senator Patty Murray was reported as saying that Trump was shaping a cabinet that "benefits those at the top and their allies, but really hurts the workers and families."