Donald Trump and his supporters are intensifying their criticism of judges who have hindered the Republican president’s second-term agenda. On Wednesday, billionaire Elon Musk joined in, calling for “an immediate wave of judicial impeachments.”
This criticism followed recent legal setbacks. A federal court ordered U.S. agencies to restore health-related websites removed under one of Trump’s executive orders. Another court upheld a ruling that blocked the administration from freezing federal funding.
These rulings have led Trump, his administration, and Musk to target the judiciary, accusing judges of overstepping their authority and undermining the president’s power. Critics are now questioning whether the Trump administration will follow court rulings. On Tuesday, the American Bar Association condemned these attacks, warning they posed “serious risks to our constitutional framework.”
At a press briefing on Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt accused judges of “abusing their power” and stated that “the real constitutional crisis is taking place within our judicial branch.” She added that the administration would comply with court orders but would continue fighting to overturn what it calls “radical injunctions.”
Trump’s efforts to reshape the judiciary were significant during his first term, where he appointed 234 judges, shifting the U.S. Supreme Court and federal courts to the right. On Wednesday, Trump echoed Musk’s claims of “massive” fraud and waste uncovered by his Department of Government Efficiency. He criticized a judge’s order requiring payments to proceed despite these alleged findings.
The post seemed to reference U.S. District Judge John McConnell, who ruled that Trump’s administration had ignored his earlier order to release billions of dollars in frozen federal grant funding. The Justice Department quickly appealed, but the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld McConnell’s decision.
Despite this, some Democratic lawmakers and even certain Republican figures in Congress are defending the judiciary. Federal judges, appointed for life, have the constitutional authority to review federal laws and policies. They can only be removed through impeachment by the House of Representatives, followed by a Senate conviction for high crimes and misdemeanors.
The impeachment of federal judges is rare. Only 15 judges have been impeached, and only eight have been convicted, with the most recent instance occurring in 2010.
Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island responded to Musk’s comments, writing that “thuggery toward judges is not the way courts work in rule-of-law countries.”
Meanwhile, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News that the Justice Department would continue to defend Trump’s policies in court, despite what she called “outrageous, overzealous, unconstitutional judges.”
Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, continued his criticism on social media, calling Judge McConnell a “scammer” and another judge, U.S. District Judge John Bates, “evil.” Musk suggested there should be a broader movement to impeach multiple judges.
Judge McConnell, appointed by Democratic former President Barack Obama, declined to comment. Judge Bates, appointed by Republican President George W. Bush, also did not respond to requests for comment. The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, which oversees the judiciary, declined to provide a statement.
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