Unless Trump has planned ahead and is using this to get Gorsuch on the Court this is a complete loss. The left is laughing at him for not ignoring the judge.
This could be a strategy on Trump's part. He acted on his campaign promise by issuing the EO, and he is showing respect for our legal system (which Obama did not) by abiding with this order. I am not sure how this would get Gorsuch on the court, but Gorsuch will probably ultimately get on the court -- let's say in May. OK, Trump could have waited until May to issue this EO, when as Laura Ingraham says he would have his AG and all his cabinet and Gorsuch.
But that would have a down side as well. His base would have been asking where is his promised immigration action. And whoever is incoming to the country from Feb-May would have come anyway, but without a spotlight on it. Now even if SCOTUS sends this back to the lower court 4-4, the travelers will be coming in as they would have anyway if he waited to issue the EO in May. So no change there (except bad actors may have motivation to hurry and get in).
And the upside to the current situation, even if SCOTUS does not uphold the EO, is that Americans see what's happening. Americans see that he is trying to keep out bad actors and the courts won't let him. Maybe the ACLU behind this case will get more publicity. I think this publicity makes Americans feel less safe. If they feel less safe, that is not going to entice them to lean more to Democrats. By all the publicity around these travelers from these 7 countries, people will feel less safe, and if the EO had been delayed until May, that publicity would not be happening.
“The left is laughing at him for not ignoring the judge.”
and in the grand scheme of things this matters why?
who cares if they laugh, Trump is still on offense waking up sincere Americans. He cannot be concerned with every single reaction and goofy face of the looney left in their temper tantrum like lives. (and yes I have some relatives very leftist)
If he ignores the judge, they will try to create a constitutional crisis and move for impeachment.
He needs to be patient. The Supreme Court will overturn this soon enough.
In the mean time if their is another terrorist attack, Trump will hang them over this.