(CNN) The Trump administration has strategically focused on the appointment of judges to the crucial appeals-court rung of the US judiciary as part of its concerted effort to axe Obama era policies.

Yet, as the White House has pushed a record number of appellate judges through the Senate, its number of appointments to the district courts - the first level of the three-tier federal judiciary - ranks far behind that of most recent presidents.

It's a pattern that President Donald Trump himself apparently questioned earlier this year, angered by district court judges who were blocking parts of his agenda, particularly related to his immigration restrictions.

Federalist Society executive vice president Leonard Leo, who has worked closely with White House Counsel Don McGahn on nominations and spoken regularly with Trump, told CNN about a January conversation in which the President complained that district court judges were exceeding their authority in thwarting his initiatives.

"He expressed concern about whether nationwide injunctions were legal, and what ensued was a pretty thoughtful exchange about whether the pace of district court confirmations ought to pick up as a response to this. We went back and forth ... and the President concluded that appellate had to be the priority," Leo said.

Read More