Federal judges decry political attacks from the White House

Politico

4 days ago

Since returning to the Oval Office in January, President Donald Trump has trained his ire on judges seen as stymieing his political agenda. He and allies lashed out against the likes of U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, who had blocked the administration's efforts to swiftly deport Venezuelan nationals to El Salvador.
Threats against federal judges skyrocketed in the weeks after Trump reentered office.
The administration's barbs have continued, now over six months into the president's second term. On Monday, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced her office had filed a misconduct complaint against Boasberg, the chief judge on the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.
'The fix is so easy in some ways,' said Salas. 'What we need is our political leaders from the top down to stop fanning these flames. To stop using irresponsible rhetoric. To stop referring to judges as corrupt and biased and monsters that hate America.'
Conservative jurists have also faced high-profile threats in recent years. A California man pleaded guilty earlier this year to attempting to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2022.
At Thursday's forum, none of the judges mentioned Trump by name. But several noted that the political environment has become much more charged since the start of his second term.
When asked for comment on Thursday's hearing, a White House spokesperson decried the threats judges were facing. 'Attacks against public officials, including judges, have no place in our society and President Trump knows all too well the impact of callous attacks having faced two assassination attempts,' White House spokesperson Harrison Fields told POLITICO.
Chief Judge John McConnell Jr., another Obama appointee who sits on the U.S. District Court in Rhode Island, in February found himself embroiled in a battle with the White House over its attempts to freeze federal funding. Elon Musk, then a White House employee, called for McConnell's impeachment. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) put his face on a 'Wanted' poster of other judges in front of his office. And America First Legal, which is allied with the president, filed a judicial misconduct claim.
McConnell's court received over 400 threatening voicemails, he said Thursday. He faced six credible death threats. And pizzas were delivered to the judge's home because 'they wanted to let us know that they knew where we lived,' he said.
'I'm not looking for pity, and I'm not looking for sympathy. I want to be able to just do my job again,' McConnell said. 'I want to be able to uphold the Constitution, and I want the public to speak out once again and support an independent judiciary.'