The American Bar Association (ABA) on Monday repudiated the Trump administration for attacking judges who issue rulings they don’t like and defended its lawyers against “efforts to undermine the courts and the profession.”
In a statement, ABA president William Bay warned of a “clear and disconcerting pattern” in government actions that “highlight[s] escalating governmental efforts to interfere with fair and impartial courts, the right to counsel and due process, and the freedoms of speech and association in our country.”
“If a court issues a decision this administration does not agree with, the judge is targeted. If a lawyer represents parties in a dispute with the administration, or if a lawyer represents parties the administration does not like, lawyers are targeted,” the ABA statement read.
Bay noted that high-ranking government officials have called for the impeachment of judges, whom they call “corrupt” but make “no effort to produce evidence of the so called ‘corruption.’”
“These have been directed only at judges who have ruled against the government position,” Bay said.
Bay called the personal targeting of judges “unacceptable” and said the government must not seek to remove judges “simply because they do not rule as the government desires.”
He also warned that judges have faced increasing physical threats, suggesting a clear effort to intimidate judges and courts.
“We will not stay silent in the face of efforts to remake the legal profession into something that rewards those who agree with the government and punishes those who do not. Words and actions matter. And the intimidating words and actions we have heard must end,” Bay said. “They are designed to cow our country’s judges, our country’s courts and our legal profession.”
Bay called on other lawyers — even elected officials — to stand up for the legal profession and “to speak out against intimidation.”
He continued: “We acknowledge that there are risks to standing up and addressing these important issues. But if the ABA and lawyers do not speak, who will speak for the organized bar? Who will speak for the judiciary? Who will protect our system of justice? If we don’t speak now, when will we speak?”
The statement comes as the Trump administration faces significant legal challenges over its sweeping executive actions and Elon Musk’s efforts to reshape the government to eliminate waste and cut spending.
When a federal judge ruled Musk could not have access to the Treasury Department’s central payment system, the senior adviser to the president said the judge should be impeached, writing on X at the time, “A corrupt judge protecting corruption. He needs to be impeached NOW.”
Vice President Vance weighed in on the matter, saying, “Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power.”
Trump said he was “very disappointed with the judges that would make such a ruling,” when asked about it at the time on Air Force One.
He added: “No judge should frankly be allowed to make that kind of a decision.”
