Chief Justice John Roberts’ rebuke of Donald Trump’s demand to remove judges who don’t fall in line with his wishes was the shot heard around the world of social media on Tuesday.
It all started after the president accused U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg of being an unelected “troublemaker and agitator” after he issued an order blocking the Trump administration’s expulsion of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador.
After Trump called for Boasberg’s impeachment, Roberts released a rare statement that “for more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision.”
He added that if Trump really wants to get rid of judges, “the normal appellate review process exists for that purpose.”
Trump hadn’t commented on Roberts’ statement as of Tuesday afternoon, but the chief justice’s rebuke went viral on social media amid mounting fear that the administration’s actions are pushing the country toward a constitutional crisis.
But many people also noted that Roberts’ Supreme Court has already helped Trump circumvent the rule of law by granting the president immunity from criminal sanction for official acts after he attempted to overturn the 2020 election.
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