Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) called on House Republicans Tuesday to impeach District Judge James Boasberg after a federal appeals court ordered the jurist to end his criminal contempt probe against Trump administration officials.
The majority on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals found Boasberg’s efforts to bring contempt charges against former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and other top executive branch officials – over their involvement in the deportation of hundreds of suspected Tren De Aragua gang members to El Salvador last March – were a “clear abuse of discretion,” “intrusive” and a “legal dead end.”
“The DC Circuit ruled Boasberg’s contempt crusade against Trump officials is an ‘improper investigation’ and ‘clear abuse of discretion,’” Schmitt wrote on X.
“He tried to imprison Trump officials for deporting Venezuelan gang members,” the senator continued. “I’m calling on the House: Impeach Rogue Judge Boasberg.”
The process for impeaching a federal judge is the same as it is for a president.
The House would launch an impeachment inquiry, likely headed by the House Judiciary Committee, and then draft and vote on articles of impeachment.
If the House passes the articles of impeachment, the Senate would handle the impeachment trial and vote to convict or acquit the judge.
It’s unlikely the Senate would be able to muster the two-thirds majority necessary to convict Boasberg, in the event he’s impeached.
In a separate post, Schmitt argued that Boasberg “forced himself onto” the case last March involving President Trump’s use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport illegal Venezuelan migrants with alleged gang ties “just a few days after trying to foment a constitutional crisis at a Judicial Conference meeting.”
The senator was referring to comments the Obama-appointed judge allegedly made during a March 11 judicial conference attended by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and other jurists.
“While there, Judge Boasberg attempted to improperly influence Chief Justice Roberts and roughly two dozen other federal judges by straying from the traditional topics to express his belief that the Trump Administration would ‘disregard rulings of federal courts’ and trigger ‘a constitutional crisis,’” then-Justice Department official Chad Mizelle wrote in a misconduct complaint filed last July with the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.
Trump has previously slammed Boasberg as a “Grandstander” and “highly conflicted,” “radical left” judge who is attempting to “usurp” his presidential power.
“This judge … should be IMPEACHED!!!” the president fumed in March 18, 2025, Truth Social post.
A spokesperson for House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
“Everything’s on the table,” Jordan has previously remarked in response to questions about impeaching Boasberg.
“We’re going to look at everything … all the tools that we have to let some of these judges know that the president and Congress are separate but equal branches of government,” Jordan has said, according to Courthouse News Service.
