OAN Staff Blake Wolf
12:54 PM – Wednesday, July 30, 2025
The Senate confirmed Emil Bove to serve as a judge on the Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday, granting President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer a lifetime appointment.
The Senate voted to confirm Bove by a 50-49 vote, affirming his federal appointment to serve for the 3rd Circuit, which oversees cases in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) voted against Bove’s nomination, alongside their Democrat counterparts.
Meanwhile, Democrat senators have railed against Bove’s nomination, citing Justice Department whistleblowers who alleged that Bove, as the Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General, “intentionally misled” the Senate Judiciary Committee. Bove has served as the Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General (PADAG) since January 20, 2025, under Attorney General Pam Bondi.
He took on that senior role immediately after President Trump’s inauguration, following the appointment of Todd Blanche as Deputy Attorney General on March 6, 2025, when Bove transitioned from Acting Deputy AG to PADAG.
One whistleblower had claimed that Bove engaged in a quid pro quo by dropping charges against Mayor Eric Adams (D-N.Y.) in “exchange for cooperation” with the federal government on immigration. However, Bove has since argued that “Policy changes made it appropriate to drop the charges.”
Additionally, another DOJ whistleblower named Erez Reuveni had alleged that Bove told his subordinates that they may have to ignore court orders that block President Trump’s mass deportation efforts. Reuveni’s claim culminated in his lawyer releasing a disclosure that alleged Bove held a March 14th meeting, where he “stated that DOJ would need to consider telling the courts ‘f*** you’ and ignore any such court order.”
During his recent confirmation hearing, Bove maintained that he was unable to recall whether he used the expletive. However, he “certainly conveyed the importance of the upcoming operation.”
Reuveni, a disgruntled former DOJ lawyer, was fired after falsely informing a judge that Salvadoran illegal alien Kilmar Abrego Garcia was wrongfully deported due to an administrative error.
During a White House press briefing, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller refuted Reuveni’s claim and explained that Abrego Garcia had “extensively documented membership in MS‑13” and posed a “clear and present danger to the safety of the American people.” Miller publicly also criticized Reuveni as being disloyal to the administration’s goals, calling him a “saboteur” and “a Democrat.”
“They reward a man, credibly accused of wanting to lie to judges, with a black robe and gavel of his own,” stated Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) after the vote on Bove’s confirmation.
“He is a Trumpian henchman – the extreme of the extreme of the extreme. He is openly hostile to the rule of law. He is fundamentally opposed to democratic norms. He lacks the temperament to serve as a jurist,” Schumer added. “And above all, Mr. Bove is religiously obedient to Donald Trump.”
Democrat Senators Corey Booker (D-N.J.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) have since requested clarity on whether the Department of Justice will open an investigation into Bove’s conduct.
Meanwhile, GOP Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) praised Bove, stating: “He has a strong legal background and has served his country honorably. I believe he will be diligent, capable, and a fair jurist. My Republican colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee agree.”
Grassley went on to accuse Democrats of utilizing “vicious rhetoric, unfair accusation and abuse directed at Mr. Bove.”
“Like clockwork, just before a hearing on a vote, we get another breathless accusation that one of President Trump’s nominees needs to be — you guessed it — investigated,” Grassley added.
Additionally, Attorney General Pam Bondi congratulated Bove on his confirmation in a Tuesday X post.
“Congratulations to our dear friend Emil Bove on his confirmation to serve on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals! This is a GREAT day for our country. I cannot thank Emil enough for his tireless work and support at [DOJ]. He will be missed — and he will be an outstanding judge,” Bondi wrote.
Stay informed! Receive breaking news alerts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
What do YOU think? Click here to leave a comment!