Judicial leader Roberts critiques Trump and Republican remarks on impeaching judgeships
In a rare and unprecedented move, Chief Justice John Roberts took a stand against the escalating rhetoric from President Donald Trump regarding the federal judiciary. On Tuesday, Roberts released a statement that seemed to be targeted at Trump's call to impeach judges who deemed against him, stating, "For over two centuries, it's been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose."
In his statement, Roberts did not mention Trump by name, but it came soon after the president amplified his attacks on federal judges by specifically calling for the impeachment of Judge James Boasberg, who has temporarily halted the deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members. This recent outburst mirrors weeks of calls for impeaching judges from Trump's allies, including Elon Musk, that followed rulings against the Trump administration.
Trump's post on Truth Social read, "This Radical Left Lunatic of a Judge, a troublemaker and agitator who was sadly appointed by Barack Hussein Obama, was not elected President – He didn't WIN the popular VOTE (by a lot!), he didn't WIN ALL SEVEN SWING STATES. This judge, like many of the Crooked Judges' I am forced to appear before, should be IMPEACHED!!!"
The members of the Supreme Court have largely stayed mum as Trump and his associates have intensified their criticism of the judiciary amid a series of preliminary rulings that haven't gone their way. Most of these cases are still being appealed and are expected to find their way to the 6-3 conservative Supreme Court in the coming weeks.
Though Roberts and other justices have generally steered clear of Trump's unusually sharp criticism of federal judges, his statement on Tuesday resembled a rebuke he issued in 2018. At that time, Roberts responded to Trump's remarks by saying, "We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges."
The history of impeaching federal judges in the United States in response to judicial decisions is rare and typically involves serious misconduct rather than disagreement over rulings. Impeachments have generally been for grave ethical or criminal misconduct, such as bribery, corruption, or intoxication on the bench, rather than for judicial decisions themselves. The most recent removal was in 2010, when Judge G. Thomas Porteous Jr. was impeached for accepting bribes and lying under oath.
While judicial impeachments are rare and usually involve serious misconduct, recent political tensions have raised questions about conflicts between the executive and judicial branches over judicial decisions. However, the Constitution protects the judiciary's independence, and impeachment is not typically used as a tool to challenge judicial rulings.
- In line with his 2018 statement, Chief Justice John Roberts, during a time of escalating rhetoric toward the federal judiciary, reiterated that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreements concerning judicial decisions, largely due to the appellate review process existing for that purpose.
- Amidst a series of preliminary rulings not favoring the Trump administration, the members of the Supreme Court, including John Roberts, have largely remained silent regarding the unusually sharp criticism from Trump and his associates towards federal judges.
- Throughout American history, impeachments of federal judges have been mostly reserved for instances of grave ethical or criminal misconduct, such as bribery, corruption, or intoxication on the bench, rather than for the judicial decisions themselves.
