Chief Justice defends judges against Trump’s impeachment demands

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Chief Justice John Roberts has issued a statement firmly opposing calls for the impeachment of federal judges who have ruled against Trump administration policies.

The statement comes after former President Donald Trump and his supporters demanded the impeachment of U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, who recently blocked the administration’s attempt to deport Venezuelan immigrants suspected of gang affiliations. Boasberg had ruled against Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang to El Salvador and Honduras, prompting accusations of political bias from Trump supporters who noted his Obama-era appointment.

“For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision,” wrote Roberts. “The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose.”

MIKE DAVIS:

Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Comey Barrett were too scared to do their jobs, and now this DC Obama judge has created a national security crises by attempting to interfere with an ongoing operation.

That's why @Article3Project is calling for the… pic.twitter.com/4qPGK08cYa

— Bannon’s WarRoom (@Bannons_WarRoom) March 18, 2025

This marks another instance where Roberts has spoken out against attacks on judicial independence. In 2018, he defended the judiciary’s impartiality when Trump criticized judges based on their appointing presidents.

“We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges,” he said at the time. “What we have is an extraordinary group of dedicated judges doing their level best to do equal right to those appearing before them.”

Roberts has demonstrated consistency in defending judicial integrity across political lines. In 2020, he condemned remarks by Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer that were interpreted as threatening Supreme Court justices. Schumer subsequently retracted his comments.

Chief Justice John Roberts is pushing back against Donald Trump’s demand to impeach Judge James Boasberg

We MUST impeach activist judges

President of El Salvador Nayib Bukele: “We had to remove corrupt judges and corrupt attorneys and prosecutors”

Nayib Bukele also said: “If… pic.twitter.com/nvsFuoY8nO

— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) March 18, 2025

“I should not have used the words I used yesterday. They did not come out the way I intended to,” Schumer said at the time.

The Chief Justice, who was appointed by George W. Bush in 2005, has recently faced criticism from progressive groups following his opinion granting broad criminal immunity to the executive branch in a case involving Trump’s alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results.