'Conflicted': This Trump obsession is 'putting GOP lawmakers in an uncomfortable spot'
Far-right MAGA Republicans, from President Donald Trump to Tesla/SpaceX/X.com head Elon Musk, are calling for federal judges who block the president's executive orders to be impeached. One of the people being targeted is U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, the Barack Obama appointee who temporarily blocked the deportation of Venezuelan nationals allegedly associated with the violent Tren de Aragua gang.
But Trump, on Tuesday, March 18, got a vehement rebuke from U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts after calling for Boasberg's impeachment. And some GOP lawmakers, including Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), agree with Roberts' position.
In an article published on March 19, The Hill's Alexander Bolton describes the divide between GOP lawmakers who are joining Trump in pushing for impeachment of federal judges and GOP lawmakers who oppose that effort.
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"Republican lawmakers are conflicted over how to respond to President Trump's confrontational standoff with the federal judiciary, which drew a rare public rebuke Tuesday from Chief Justice John Roberts," Bolton reports. "Trump and his allies are directing their attacks more frequently against judges who threaten to slow or block the president's ambitious agenda, putting GOP lawmakers in an uncomfortable spot. Republican officeholders are leery of criticizing Trump for fear of becoming the target of his wrath or a primary challenge, yet privately, they worry about the president's efforts to expand his executive power, which could reverberate far into the future."
A GOP strategist, quoted anonymously, told The Hill that support for impeaching federal judges is far from universal among Republicans in Congress.
The strategist explained, "Republicans, by and large, will support Trump publicly because of the situation. We're dealing with Venezuelan gang members, and most Americans agree they should have been deported. Privately, most congressional Republicans will think this is really going right up to the line on having a constitutional crisis, and that situations like this need to be avoided in the future. They do believe in due process."
The strategist added, "There will be future situations where hearings are necessary, and continuing to go against judicial rulings will be politically precarious for Trump."
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Murkowski disagrees strongly with Trump's attacks on the federal judiciary.
Bolton quotes the Alaska Republican as saying, "The White House should comply with court rulings…. We have a judicial system. If you don't like the ruling, you can appeal the ruling and you can follow that through. But we are a nation of laws, and it is not necessarily for you or I to be the final arbiter here. This is why we entrust the judiciary with this responsibility."
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Read The Hill's full article at this link.
