WASHINGTON (AP) — In a rare public rebuke, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts pushed back against President Donald Trump’s call to impeach a federal judge who ruled against his administration’s aggressive deportation efforts.
“For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision,” Roberts stated, emphasizing the importance of judicial independence.
Trump, however, escalated his attacks on the judiciary. In a heated social media post Tuesday morning, he called U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg an “unelected troublemaker and agitator” after the judge blocked the administration’s deportation flights under an obscure 18th-century law, the Alien Enemies Act.
“HE DIDN’T WIN ANYTHING! I WON FOR MANY REASONS, IN AN OVERWHELMING MANDATE, BUT FIGHTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION MAY HAVE BEEN THE NUMBER ONE REASON FOR THIS HISTORIC VICTORY,” Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social. “I’m just doing what the VOTERS wanted me to do. This judge, like many of the Crooked Judges’ I am forced to appear before, should be IMPEACHED!!!”
A President at war with the courts
Trump’s demand is just the latest in a pattern of attacks on the judicial branch. Throughout his presidency, and now into his second term, Trump has lashed out at judges who ruled against him—often targeting those appointed by Democratic presidents. But his call for impeachment marks a dangerous escalation.
Legal experts warn that the push to remove judges over unfavorable rulings threatens the judiciary’s role as a check on executive power. Impeachment is an extreme measure, historically reserved for judges engaged in serious ethical violations or criminal misconduct. Only 15 federal judges have ever been impeached in U.S. history, and just eight were removed.
Duke University law professor Marin Levy called Trump’s comments a “direct threat to judicial independence,” warning of the chilling effect such rhetoric could have on the judiciary’s ability to rule without fear of political retaliation.
The Roberts-Trump divide
Roberts has previously confronted Trump’s attacks on the judiciary. In 2018, he publicly denounced the then-president’s characterization of a judge who ruled against his asylum policies as an “Obama judge,” stating, “We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges… an independent judiciary is something we should all be thankful for.”
Yet, the relationship between the two remains complicated. Roberts recently authored a ruling that granted broad immunity to sitting presidents from criminal prosecution, a decision that helped Trump avoid trial ahead of the 2024 election. Trump later thanked Roberts at a congressional address, telling him, “I won’t forget.”
Courts push back against Trump’s deportation efforts
The judicial challenge that sparked Trump’s ire stems from his use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which has historically been invoked only during congressionally declared wars. Trump claimed the law gave him authority to deport Venezuelan migrants, whom he labeled as members of the gang Tren de Aragua. However, Boasberg ruled that the administration’s justification was legally flawed.
Despite the ruling, deportation flights continued, prompting Boasberg to convene a hearing on whether the administration defied his order. The Justice Department has since moved to have Boasberg removed from the case, fueling concerns over political interference in the courts.
The growing impeachment threat
It’s unclear whether Trump’s call for Boasberg’s impeachment will gain traction, but the push reflects a broader trend. At least two House Republicans have signaled plans to introduce articles of impeachment against Boasberg, and similar efforts are underway against two other judges who ruled against Trump’s policies.
As Trump and his allies ramp up their rhetoric, legal scholars warn that the attack on judicial independence could have lasting consequences for American democracy.
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