The American Bar Association (ABA) issued a statement Tuesday citing concerns with the Trump administration’s comments condemning court orders that blocked some of the president’s executive actions.
“These bold assertions, designed to intimidate judges by threatening removal if they do not rule the government’s way, cross the line. They create a risk to the physical security of judges and have no place in our society,” the ABA wrote.
“There have also been suggestions that the executive branch should consider disobeying court orders. These statements threaten the very foundation of our constitutional system.”
White House officials made scathing statements about a federal judge who ruled that Elon Musk should not have access to the Treasury Department’s central payment system. Democrats have also protested the tech giant’s probe of sensitive taxpayer information without bounds.
The president openly admitted he was “disappointed” by the ruling.
“We’re very disappointed with the judges that would make such a ruling, but we have a long way to go,” President Trump said over the weekend while traveling to the Super Bowl on Air Force One.
He added: “No judge should frankly be allowed to make that kind of a decision.”
Musk argued the judge should be impeached.
“A corrupt judge protecting corruption. He needs to be impeached NOW,” the Tesla CEO wrote in a Sunday post on the social platform X.
Vice President Vance also weighed in on the matter, questioning the scope of the courts.
“If a judge tried to tell a general how to conduct a military operation, that would be illegal. If a judge tried to command the attorney general in how to use her discretion as a prosecutor, that’s also illegal,” Vance wrote in a post on X.
“Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power.”
The ABA labeled the comments an effort to “demonize the courts” and declared it will not stand by complicity as White House officials move to influence judges.
“This is not the first time we have called out criticism and efforts to demonize the courts. The ABA spoke last fall during the previous administration and called out comments from both sides,” it wrote in the statement.
“We recognize the potential risk to our profession, the ABA and our members, by speaking. But to stay silent is to suggest that these statements are acceptable or the new norm. They are not. And we will not be silent in the face of such words that are contrary to our constitutional system.”
