Since President Trump's return to office last month, federal judges have notably halted several moves, including ending birthright citizenship, through a number of preliminary rulings and injunctions.
The president’s allies have fueled misinformation and verbal attacks against courts on social media, raising concerns that judges hearing high-profile litigation challenging his administration could be at risk (article available here).
Elon Musk, whose government efficiency team’s actions are being litigated in multiple courts, has amplified posts targeting judges who have put temporary blocks on early Trump administration actions. Some posts shared by Musk and other allies have included information about judges’ family members.
"We should at least ATTEMPT to fire this junky jurist. The notion of having a judge job for life, no matter how bad the judgments, is ridiculous!" Musk posted to his 217 million X followers. Musk also reposted photos of at least three judges who ruled against Trump policies.
A former federal judge in Pennsylvania noted that courts are dependent on Congress for funding and other resources, giving judges more reason not to speak out. “People have to cut to the ultimate chase here and ask ourselves, as a nation, do we really want to get a member of the federal judiciary harmed or killed, or their family members harmed or killed?” he said. “That’s the roulette that we’re playing here, and that worries me terribly.”
The American Bar Association warned on Tuesday the rule of law was under attack and that statements by Trump's allies "threaten the very foundation of our constitutional system."