Trump shares post accusing judges of 'sedition and treason' for blocking his agenda
WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump reposted an article on social media accusing judges of "sedition and treason" when they use the court's authority to overturn executive actions as the president continues to vent over federal district judges blocking pieces of his agenda.
Trump's post Sunday night on Truth Social comes after he was rebuked last week by Chief Justice John Roberts for calling for the impeachment of a federal judge who tried to stop the Republican administration from deporting hundreds of alleged Venezuelan gang members via the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 law last used during World War II.
The president shared an article by Yaacov Apelbaum, published on the conservative website The Gateway Pundit, which argues when judges "exceed their constitutional authority by obstructing or overturning executive actions without legitimate constitutional grounds, they not only overstep their role but may also commit acts tantamount to treason and sedition."
Apelbaum's article goes on to argue "activist judges" violate the constitutional authority of the judicial branch by legislating or executing the law rather than interpreting it. "The U.S. legal system provides mechanisms to address such overreach, particularly under statutes concerning sedition and treason," it says.
Sedition conspiracy is a federal crime that involves plotting to "conspire to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force the Government of the United States, or to levy war against them ... or delay the execution of any law of the United States."
The crime of treason refers to “levying war against (the United States), or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere.” Penalties for treason include death or a minimum of five years in prison.
Chief U.S. District Judge James Boasberg temporarily blocked Trump's use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport more than 200 alleged Venezuelan gang members without granting due process. Those deportation flights, however, went ahead despite the judge's order. The White House argued the planes took off before the judge's written order was released.
Boasberg at a hearing last week accused government lawyers of being “intemperate and disrespectful” in court documents and said he would continue to investigate whether the removals defied his order.
“What’s concerning to me is why was this proclamation essentially signed in the dark on Friday or Friday night or early Saturday morning and then people were rushed onto planes,” Boasberg said. “It seems to me the only reason to do that is if you know it’s a problem and you want to get them out of the country.”
After calling for the impeachment of Boasberg, Roberts issued a rare public statement about Trump's suggestion: “For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision,” Roberts said. “The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose.”
Trump has faced other setbacks from decisions by federal districts judges on his administration's efforts to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development, ban transgender people from serving in the U.S. military and fire tens of thousands federal probationary workers.
A U.S. appeals court on Friday refused to pause a federal judge's recent order for the Trump administration to reinstate 25,000 workers at 18 federal agencies who were laid off as part of Trump's purge of the federal workforce.
Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.