Impeaching Judges Should Never Be off the Table
April 5, 2025
The judicial establishment is angry. President Trump has called for the impeachment and removal of Judge James Boasberg, who halted the administration’s deportation of Venezuelan gang members.
J. Michael Luttig, a former federal judge and a “Never-Trumper,” warned that the president’s complaints about the judiciary threaten a constitutional crisis.
Chief Justice John Roberts added his voice with a lecture on the appellate process: “For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose.”
Most Americans nod in agreement, remembering their high school civics lessons on how judges should be insulated from popular opinion and political pressure. But is this correct? Should unelected federal officials exercising immense power be immune from censure?
