The division is growing in the Republican Party regarding President Donald Trump’s attempt to impeach federal judges who block his policies. This battle raged on after Trump called for Judge James Boasberg, the chief judge of the U.S. District Court for D.C., to be impeached on Truth Social. Boasberg had recently blocked the deportation of 250 Venezuelan gang members, depriving the Trump administration of the use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1789.
Trump’s call for impeachment soon landed in the lap of Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas), who introduced articles of impeachment of Boasberg. Not all members of the GOP think this way, though. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) both went out of their way to mention respect for judicial rulings and the appeals process to try to correct disapproval of verdicts.
Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) called the idea of impeaching judges over their rulings “idiotic,” and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) agreed, saying judges shouldn’t be impeached just because they make rulings with Republicans disagree.
Trump’s request for impeaching Boasberg comes on the heels of broader moves by some House Republicans to discipline judges whose rulings are against the administration. Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) is to present impeachment articles against Rhode Island Judge John J. McConnell Jr., who recently ruled against the administration’s suspension of federal payments.
Impeachment of federal judges is a very rare phenomenon, with the last successful impeachment in 2010, typically saved for cases of gross misconduct or corruption. In a rare public comment regarding the issue, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, a Republican appointee, opposed the suggestion of impeaching judges for decisions, asserting that the appeals process should be used instead.
While House GOP leadership is not ruling out judicial impeachment votes, they are struggling to get their narrow majority in line. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has grumbled about activist judges but is keeping a close eye on the Constitution.
Trump’s hold on the issue is tight, with his political apparatus still pushing the impeachment effort. A fundraising letter issued Wednesday asked supporters to impeach judges like Boasberg, labeling him a “troublemaker.” The internal GOP battles on the issue are sure to persist as the firestorm over judicial independence continues.
