House Speaker Mike Johnson said Wednesday he would support efforts to impeach federal judges who have blocked parts of President Donald Trump’s agenda, arguing that some jurists have exceeded their authority even as he acknowledged impeachment remains a rare and severe step.
Speaking at his weekly news conference, Johnson, R-La., said impeachment is still an “extreme measure,” but added that “extreme times call for extreme measures.”
“I think some of these judges have gotten so far outside the bounds of where they’re supposed to operate,” Johnson said. “It would not be, in my view, a bad thing for Congress to lay down the law.”
Asked directly about the push to impeach judges, Johnson added, “I’m for it,” pointing to U.S. District Judge James Boasberg as one of the jurists Republicans have cited in recent weeks. Johnson described the conduct at issue as “egregious abuses,” according to Fox News.
Johnson’s remarks marked a shift in emphasis from earlier positions taken by House Republican leadership. Fox News reported that House GOP leaders last year viewed impeachment as impractical as a response to rulings they considered judicial activism, and instead advanced legislation aimed at limiting nationwide injunctions.
The renewed talk of impeachment comes as some Republicans have intensified criticism of federal judges who have ruled against Trump administration policies, particularly on immigration. Reuters reported that Senate Republicans held a hearing this month promoting the impeachment of what they called “rogue” judges, with Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, highlighting Boasberg and U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman.
Cruz has argued the two judges meet the constitutional standard for impeachment, according to Fox News’ account of the hearing and Johnson’s comments.
Boasberg has drawn Republican criticism over rulings in immigration cases involving Trump administration policies, including litigation tied to deportations and detention practices, Fox News reported. Boardman has been targeted by Cruz over a sentencing decision in a case involving an attempt to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, according to Fox News.
Impeachment of a federal judge begins in the House, which can approve articles of impeachment by a simple majority vote. Removal requires a two-thirds vote in the Senate. Impeachments of judges are uncommon, and convictions are rarer still.
Johnson noted the historical rarity in earlier comments cited by Fox News, saying in May 2025 that “we’ve had 15 federal judges impeached in the entire history of the country,” and arguing that removal typically involves clear misconduct rather than disagreement with rulings.
The new push has drawn objections from Democrats and legal scholars, who have warned that punishing judges over their decisions threatens judicial independence. Reuters reported that the impeachment talk has prompted alarms about intimidation of the judiciary, and noted that Chief Justice John Roberts previously rejected impeachment as a remedy for dissatisfaction with judicial rulings.
No impeachment vote has been scheduled in the House on Boasberg, Boardman or other judges, and Reuters reported that none of the House-filed impeachment resolutions had advanced as of the Senate hearing.
Johnson did not name specific impeachment articles he would support, but said Congress should respond when judges step beyond their proper role. His comments came as Republicans, holding a narrow House majority, have faced repeated court setbacks on major administration initiatives and have weighed legislative and oversight responses to adverse rulings.
