Republicans eye actions against the courts and judges as Trump rails
against rulings
[March 26, 2025]
By LISA MASCARO
WASHINGTON (AP) — Angry over the crush of court rulings against the
Trump administration, Republicans in Congress are trying to slap back at
the federal judiciary with proposals to limit the reach of its rulings,
cut funding and even impeach judges, tightening the GOP's grip on
government.
House GOP leaders say all options are under consideration as they rush
to rein in judges who are halting President Donald Trump’s actions at a
rapid pace. In many cases, the courts are questioning whether the
firings of federal workers, freezing of federal funds and shuttering of
long-running federal offices are unlawful actions by the executive
branch and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency.
In perhaps the most high-profile case, Judge James E. Boasberg ordered
planeloads of deported immigrants to be turned around, raising the ire
of Trump, who called for his impeachment, and billionaire Musk, who is
funneling campaign cash to House Republicans backing impeachment
efforts. The president calls the judges “lunatics.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday that “desperate times call for
desperate measures" without mentioning impeachment.
“We do have authority over the federal courts, as you know," the
Republican speaker said. "We can eliminate an entire district court. We
have power of funding over the courts, and all these other things.”
Not yet 100 days into the new administration, the unusual attack on the
federal judiciary is the start of what is expected to be a protracted
battle between the co-equal branches of government, unmatched in modern
memory. As the White House tests the judiciary, trying to bend it to
Trump's demands, the Congress, controlled by the president’s own
Republican Party, appears ready to back him up.
It all comes as the Supreme Court last summer granted the executive
broad immunity from prosecution, setting the stage for the challenges to
come. But Chief Justice John Roberts warned more recently that
“impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a
judicial decision.”
Democrats are warning against what they view as an assault on the
judicial branch, which so far has been the only check against Trump and
DOGE’s far-reaching federal actions. Threats against the federal judges,
already on the rise, remain of high concern.
“It is outrageous to even think of defunding the courts," said Senate
Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, reacting to the House speaker's claims.
"The courts are the bulwark against Trump, and the Republicans can’t
stand it.”
House GOP leaders met Tuesday with Rep. Jim Jordan, the chairman of the
House Judiciary Committee, which will hold a hearing on the issue next
week. The House is also expected to vote on a bill from Rep. Darrell
Issa, R-Calif., that would limit the geographic reach of certain federal
rulings, to prevent temporary restraining orders from being enacted
nationwide.
Jordan said he also spoke Saturday with Trump during college wrestling
championships in Philadelphia.
“All options are on the table,” Jordan said late Monday. “We want to get
the facts. Gather the facts.”
Since Trump took office, and with Musk, on a mission to dramatically
reduce the size and scope of the federal government, the
administration’s tech-inspired move-fast-and-break-things ethos has run
up against the constraints of federal law.
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President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson of La., listen
at the annual St. Patrick's Day luncheon at the Capitol in
Washington, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
An onslaught of court cases has been filed by employee groups,
democracy organizations and advocacy groups trying to keep federal
programs — from the U.S. Agency for International Development to the
Education Department — from being dismantled.
Judges have issued various types of restraints on Trump’s actions.
Trump's first administration alone accounted for 66 percent of all
the injunctions issued on presidential actions between 2001 and
2023, according to data from a Harvard Law Review piece circulated
by Republicans.
The legislation from Issa had no support from Democrats when it was
approved by the Judiciary Committee last month. A similar bill was
introduced Monday by GOP Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, of Maryland, the top Democrat on the Judiciary
panel, said Trump is being hit with injunctions because he is
"engaged in terrible, irresponsible and lawless violations of
people's rights.“
“We are winning in court,” Raskin said in a video address. "We've
got make sure we defend the integrity of the judiciary.”
When it comes to actually impeaching the judges, however, top
Republicans have stopped short of backing what would be a severe
action.
Impeachments are rare in Congress, particularly of judges, but
several rank-and-file House Republicans have proposed legislation to
launch impeachment proceedings against various federal judges who
have ruled in ways unfavorable to the Trump administration.
Musk has rewarded House Republicans who signed onto impeachment
legislation with political donations, according to a person familiar
with information first reported by the New York Times. The person
was granted anonymity to discuss the matter.
Republicans are particularly focused on Boasberg, the chief judge of
the district court in Washington, D.C., who Jordan said is in a
“somewhat unique in that, you know, his decision was crazy."
The judge is weighing whether the Trump administration defied his
order after the planes of migrants landed in El Salvador, turned
over to that country's notorious mega-prison system. The Trump
administration had invoked the Alien Enemies Act, a war-time
authority used during World War II against Japanese Americans, for
the deportations the judge said lacked due process.
Any impeachment effort would also require backing from the Senate,
where GOP leaders also panned the effort.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., echoed the advice of
Roberts in allowing normal legal procedures to play out.
“At the end of the day, there is a process, and there’s an appeals
process, and you know, I suspect that’s ultimately how this will get
handled,” Thune said.
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Associated Press writers Leah Askarinam and Kevin Freking
contributed to this report.
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