Trump supporters are querying the value of a federal judge’s home after he demanded answers about potentially illegal deportations to El Salvador.
Why It Matters
The standoff between the Trump administration and Washington D.C. federal judge James Boasberg has become extremely tense after Trump called for his impeachment.
The case raises issues about the impartiality and independence of federal judges.
Newsweek sought email comment from the offices of Judge James Boasberg and Attorney General Pam Bondi on Friday.
Mandel Ngan/Getty Images
What To Know
Boasberg warned Department of Justice officials on March 15 that a group of Venezuelan men should not be deported until he had considered the full facts of the case.
The men were deported that same day and Boasberg has spent all week trying to find out if the Trump administration violated his court order.
As the sharp words continued in court, Trump wrote on his social media site, Truth Social, that Boasberg was part of the lunatic left and should be impeached.
That led Supreme Court justice, John Roberts, to release a rare public statement, in which he said that federal judges should not be impeached for unfavorable decisions.
What People Are Saying
Pro-Trump commentators have launched a scathing series of attacks on Boasberg and his family.
Paul Perry, a senior reporter at conservative website, Real Clear Investigations, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on March 20: “On a $247,000 federal salary, property records show Judge Boasberg lives in a $2.4 million house in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in D.C.”
Elon Musk, the head of Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, shared the post on X with the comment: “Interesting.”
Liz Harrington, Trump’s former campaign spokeswoman, also shared Perry’s post.
Lois Romano, an author and former editor at Washington Post Live, strongly contested Perry’s claim on X, writing: “You cannot be serious, Paul Perry. 1. That’s NOT one of the most prestigious neighborhoods. 2. He purchased the house 30 years ago when he was in private practice, and his wife was a Stanford MBA consultant. 3. They paid $500K for it. 4. You’ve embarrassed yourself with your ignorance.”
Trump supporters also kept Boasberg’s family under scrutiny during the week.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters on March 19: “This judge, Judge Boasberg, is a Democrat activist. He was appointed by Barack Obama.” Leavitt then said Boasberg’s wife, Elizabeth Manson, had donated more than $10,000 to Democrats. She added that Boasberg has “consistently shown his disdain for this president and his policies, and it’s unacceptable.”
Republican attorney Daniel R. Street, wrote on X on March 21: “If media reports are true his wife earns a lot of money also. Still a $2.4 million home for a judge with a history consisting primarily of working for the government (AUSA, judgeships) is an eyebrow raiser.”
Right-wing commentator Laura Loomer wrote on X on March 17 that Boasberg’s daughter “has pronouns in her bio … proving her affiliation with the Left.” She alleged that Baosberg’s daughter “focuses on criminal defense and advocacy” in her work for an organization that “strongly opposes mass deportations and legislation targeting members of criminal gangs” and therefore “Judge Boasberg has a clear conflict of interest & is obligated to recuse himself from this case.”
What Happens Next
Boasberg is holding a hearing on March 21 to find out more information about the deportations after writing in an order on March 20 that the Justice Department’s responses to his questions were “woefully insufficient” and that the government had “again evaded its obligations.”