Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) accused Judge James Boasberg of judicial “abuse” in a call for House Republicans to impeach the chief judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
The GOP lawmaker blasted Boasberg’s “crusade” against President Donald Trump’s administration following a decision by a federal appeals court that ordered the Obama-appointed judge to end his “intrusive” contempt investigation.
🚨 BIG WIN FOR TRUMP — Appeals Court SLAPS DOWN Activist Judge James Boasberg
A federal appeals court just delivered a major smackdown to Judge James Boasberg, telling him to stop harassing the Trump administration over deportations.
The court ruled that Boasberg was way out of… pic.twitter.com/Tmuicq5G99
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) April 15, 2026
“The D.C. Circuit ruled Boasberg’s contempt crusade against Trump officials is an ‘improper investigation’ and ‘clear abuse of discretion.’ He tried to imprison Trump officials for deporting Venezuelan gang members. I’m calling on the House: Impeach Rogue Judge Boasberg,” Schmitt, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, wrote on X.
The D.C. Circuit ruled Boasberg’s contempt crusade against Trump officials is an “improper investigation” and “clear abuse of discretion.”
He tried to imprison Trump officials for deporting Venezuelan gang members.
I’m calling on the House: Impeach Rogue Judge Boasberg. https://t.co/l5taaPRpqh
— Eric Schmitt (@Eric_Schmitt) April 14, 2026
In a 2-1 decision on Tuesday, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Boasberg must end his contempt proceedings against Trump administration officials stemming from his order over flights carrying Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador last year.
“The legal error at the heart of these criminal contempt proceedings demonstrates why further investigation by the district court is an abuse of discretion,” Circuit Judge Neomi Rao wrote in the majority opinion.
“Criminal contempt is available only for the violation of an order that is clear and specific. (Boasberg’s March 2025 order) did not clearly and specifically bar the government from transferring plaintiffs into Salvadoran custody,” the Trump appointee added.
🚨 In a 2-1 vote, a D.C. Circuit panel has issued an extraordinary writ of mandamus, ordering Judge Boasberg to terminate his criminal contempt probe into the Trump administration’s transfer of alleged Tren de Aragua members to El Salvador. pic.twitter.com/aDD99GZsQ3
— SCOTUS Wire (@scotus_wire) April 14, 2026
The court ruled that Boasberg was running an “improper investigation,” which Rao warned could turn into “an open-ended, freewheeling inquiry into executive branch decision-making on matters of national security.”
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche responded to the appeals court decision in a statement.
“Today’s decision by the DC Circuit should finally end Judge Boasberg’s year-long campaign against the hardworking department attorneys doing their jobs fighting illegal immigration,” he said.
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida. Powers also contributes to BizPac Review.
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