House Speaker Mike Johnson endorsed impeaching judges Boasberg and Boardman over their rulings against Trump

On January 21, 2026, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told reporters at a Capitol news conference that he supports impeaching U.S. District Judges James Boasberg, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and Deborah Boardman of the U.S. District Court for Maryland, over rulings against the Trump administration. Asked about the calls to impeach the two judges, Johnson said, "I'm for it. Judge Boasberg is one who's been mentioned. And these are some egregious abuses." He called impeachment "an extreme measure" but said "extreme times call for extreme measures," arguing that some judges have gone "so far outside the bounds of where they're supposed to operate" that it would "not be a bad thing" for Congress to "make an example of some of these egregious abuses."

Boasberg has repeatedly ruled against the administration, including halting deportation flights under the Alien Enemies Act and pursuing contempt proceedings over defied orders. Boardman blocked Trump's executive order narrowing birthright citizenship and limited data-sharing with the Department of Government Efficiency; Senate Republicans have separately criticized an eight-year sentence she imposed on a defendant who traveled to Maryland intending to kill a Supreme Court justice. Neither judge has been accused of misconduct — the impeachment calls rest on disagreement with their rulings. Judicial impeachment is rare: the House has impeached 15 federal judges since the nation's founding, and the Senate has removed eight, almost always for bribery or perjury rather than contested decisions.

Johnson's endorsement gave institutional weight to an effort already underway. Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas) had filed articles of impeachment accusing Boasberg of "abuse of power," Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) had convened a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing earlier in the month arguing both judges violated their constitutional duties, and Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) had introduced a separate resolution to impeach Boardman. As Speaker, Johnson controls whether any impeachment resolution reaches the House floor; he stopped short of committing to a vote, saying only "we'll see where it goes."

Updates

2026-01-22 — Rep. Ogles said impeachment momentum was growing after Johnson's remarks [1]

Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) said momentum was building among House Republicans to impeach Judge Boasberg after Johnson's endorsement, telling reporters, "I just spoke to him on the House floor, and he's still in support, so we're going to push to move forward on at least one."

2026-01-22 — Reps. Gill, Clyde, Stutzman, and Gooden voiced support for impeachment [3]

Rep. Brandon Gill said he was "thrilled to see the speaker get on board" and that Johnson's "leadership will be crucial in getting this passed." Reps. Andrew Clyde, Marlin Stutzman, and Lance Gooden also voiced support, with Clyde calling Boasberg "one of the most forthright judicial activists on the bench" and Gooden saying there was "more of an appetite and less of a hesitation" among House Republicans than earlier in the Congress.