This is something that will wake you up faster than three cups of coffee. As you know, Emil Bove is being considered for elevation to the appellate bench, specifically the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals which is located in Philadelphia and has jurisdiction over Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The concept of the abrasive and controversial Bove on the appellate bench is alarming enough. But it’s being spoken of that in the eventuality of Samuel Alito retiring before the 2026 midterms, that the then-confirmed then-Justice Bove might move right into a lifelong appointment as a Supreme Court judge. This is straight out of a Stephen King novel. A judge who says “fuck the courts” on the highest court in the land?
You need to read an article which presents a list of ten reasons that Bove should not be confirmed as an appellate judge and sure as hell not as as a Supreme Court justice. This list is “by no means exhaustive” the authors point out, but it is pretty horrifying in scope.
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, Chancellor Palpatine shattered the Jedi by taking Anakin Skywalker, a member of the Jedi Council, as his Sith apprentice, Darth Vader. In becoming Palpatine’s apprentice, Vader relinquished his commitment to peace and justice, bowed his knee to power, and became the Emperor’s attack dog. He then used his power to ruthlessly purge Jedis from the Galactic Empire.
In the here and now, fiction may forecast reality, as Emil Bove, a partisan henchman from Trump’s inner circle, is about to be elevated to a lifelong position on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals — not because he embodies qualities that a federal judge should possess, but because he has served as Trump’s personal hit man.
A judgeship on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals is not an obscure role. The Third Circuit decides major cases on civil rights, voting, immigration, and more. Many of its decisions never even reach the Supreme Court. If confirmed, Bove will create a majority of Republican appointees on the Third Circuit, guaranteeing him many opportunities to impose his will on one of the most consequential courts in the country. And yet, the man Trump has nominated has a track record that should disqualify him outright.
1. He Used the Justice Department for Political Prosecutions
Bove played a central role in turning the Department of Justice into a tool of political retribution. As a senior official under Trump, he helped orchestrate the sudden abandonment of a federal corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams — reportedly because Adams agreed to help implement Trump’s mass deportation plan. At least 10 DOJ attorneys, including some affiliated with the conservative legal movement, resigned in protest of the apparent quid pro quo.
2. He Tramples on Free Speech and Due Process
As the acting deputy attorney general at the DOJ, Bove demanded the names of FBI agents investigating the January 6 insurrection so he could punish them for “insubordination.” He also removed experienced prosecutors from the Jan. 6 investigation when they wouldn’t bend to political pressure. That kind of intimidation does not belong anywhere near a courtroom.
3. He Pushed Extreme and Possibly Illegal Deportation Tactics
Bove was a key architect of a deportation scheme under the Alien Enemies Act, using wartime powers to deport immigrants en masse. When courts tried to intervene, whistleblowers say Bove told DOJ attorneys to ignore court orders. One attorney was even told to say “f*** you” to a judge if necessary. That should disqualify anyone from holding any legal office, let alone a lifetime judgeship.
4. He Punishes People Who Speak the Truth
Not only had he led a team that “engaged in a deliberate attempt to obscure the truth,” Bove also retaliated against Erez Reuveni, a career DOJ lawyer, who refused to lie to a federal court about a deportation case. After Reuveni told the truth — that the government’s claims about a deported man’s gang affiliation were false — he was put on leave and then dismissed. His termination came just hours after he exposed Bove’s plan to violate court orders. That is not just unethical; it is dangerous.
You can click into the link and read the rest. Let me leave you with the conclusion:
Here is the bottom line: Emil Bove isn’t just unfit. He is a symbol of a corrupt, transactional view of the law where loyalty trumps justice and accountability gets punished. We want no Palpatines to govern our country and no Darth Vaders to dictate our fate. We cannot afford to hand someone like Emil Bove the keys to our justice system — not for a day, and certainly not for life.
This man on the appellate bench would only pave the way for the authoritarian streak which we see now in our politics. The Republican party sold its soul. The GOP has had problems the past 50+ years. Richard Nixon was their flawed candidate who got into office and all that he represented then has only gotten much much worse. In fact, Nixon looks like an Eagle Scout and a scholarly statesman compared to what’s in the White House now.
People like Bove have become empowered by Trump’s ascension. And it is not beyond contemplation that Bove could get confirmed to the federal bench and then heaven forfend, he could move on to the Supreme Court, conceivably.
We cannot let this horror take place. He must be stopped now. But will enough Republicans rally to keep this awful man off the federal bench? Having seen what we saw regarding the equally horrific BBB passage, I don’t hold out much hope. Right now we know for a fact that they’re all avoiding the issue. Trump has begged people to stay in town and confirm his nominees. At some point in the near future this issue will have to be faced. Then we see if we have a rogue lawyer like this elevated way above where he belongs to be.
I’m not holding my breath hoping they’ll do the right thing.
But I’m sure hoping that, like Gaetz, this would be a step too far.