House GOP leaders have little appetite to launch a full-scale impeachment process against judges who have been blocking President Donald Trump's agenda, sources said Thursday.

Three people – two senior House GOP aides and one source familiar with leadership's discussions – told Fox News Digital that House leadership does not see impeachment as the most effective way to hold accountable those they view as "activist" judges.

Republican leaders are still looking into it, however, after Trump himself called for the impeachment of U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg over the weekend. Boasberg issued an emergency 14-day injunction on the Trump administration's deportation of suspected Tren De Aragua gang members under the Alien Enemies Act.

But impeachment would largely be a symbolic gesture, even if such a move passed the House.

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"I don't think we know if we have the votes, and it's another intense whipping process for something that won't move at all in the Senate," one senior House GOP aide said. "I think our focus is to do something that is easier to get votes for and could actually get all the Republicans in the Senate."

A second senior House GOP aide was more blunt with Fox News Digital: "It's likelier that President Trump will acquire Canada as our 51st state than the U.S. House of Representatives impeaching federal judges."

"This is an impossible task," the second senior aide said.

A third source familiar with House GOP leadership discussions said, "The impeachment route isn't anyone's favorite on this."

It's being pushed by a faction of conservatives primarily in the House Freedom Caucus, however – and they appear buoyed by Trump's support for impeaching Boasberg.

Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, introduced a resolution to impeach Boasberg for abuse of power. 

Gill told Fox News Digital earlier this week that Boasberg was a "rogue" judge who was "overstepping" his authority.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who previously told Fox News Digital that all options were on the table, suggested in multiple media interviews this week that the committee could hold a hearing on the matter.

Reps. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., Eli Crane, R-Ariz., and Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., are pushing resolutions to impeach other federal judges who blocked Trump policies as well.

However, with just 53 Republican senators, any impeachment resolution would need the help of Democrats to reach the two-thirds threshold required for removal after a Senate trial – which is highly unlikely to happen. 

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on the Constitution, said all options should be available to Republicans. 

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"We ought to look at [impeachment], we ought to look at jurisdiction-stripping, we ought to look at every option that needs to be addressed about judges that are actively taking steps to try to undermine the presidency," Roy told Fox News Digital in a brief interview on Thursday.

He also pointed out that an impeachment by the House is in itself a punishment, although symbolic – though Roy noted he was not "for or against" any one specific path right now.

It's worth noting that former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas remains the second-ever Cabinet secretary impeached, a permanent note on his legacy even though the then-Democrat-controlled Senate quickly dismissed a trial.

But getting the Mayorkas impeachment resolution passed through the House was a messy political affair, when the GOP was dealing with a similarly slim margin. It took two House-wide votes to pass that measure, with Republicans falling one vote short on the first attempt and then narrowly passing the resolution with three GOP defections on the second.

GOP leaders have had more success with critical votes this year, however, with Trump in the White House pressing holdouts on key legislation.

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Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is not ruling anything out right now, at least publicly. A spokesperson for Johnson told Fox News Digital that he would look at all options available to take on "activist judges."

"Activist judges with political agendas pose a significant threat to the rule of law, equal justice, and the separation of powers. The speaker looks forward to working with the Judiciary Committee as they review all available options under the Constitution to address this urgent matter," the spokesperson said.

Two other sources told Fox News Digital that another option Trump showed support for was a bill by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., to block federal district court judges from issuing nationwide injunctions.

Samson and Desnoyers Score in 3-2 Setback

March 28, 2025

Belleville, ON – 18-year-old Jett Luchanko made his Lehigh Valley Phantoms debut as Lehigh Valley took a 2-1 lead in the third period. But the Belleville Senators rallied from behind with back-to-back goals, including a game-winner from former Phantom Hayden Hodgson, to take a 3-2 decision on Friday night at CAA Arena.

Ethan Samson (10th) and Elliot Desnoyers (5th) struck for the Phantoms who probably deserved a positive outcome as Lehigh Valley largely outplayed the B-Sens in this one. But veteran goaltender Malcolm Subban stood on his head with a number of remarkable saves among his 32 total to hold off the Orange and Black thus providing the Senators the chance for the comeback.

Most notable was his incredible diving denial of Hunter McDonald’s blast on the backdoor when he reached over with the paddle to somehow get a piece of the potential tying goal in the third period. Subban’s 31st save of the game might have been his best of the night but he also had other tremendous stops in his sparkling evening including a left-pad stop on a Brendan Furry breakaway as well as another stop on Alexis Gendron in tight as part of a hectic sequence in the second period in which Belleville somehow found a way to hang on. Helge Grans ripped a one-timer from the right dot on a great seam-pass from Givani Smith just moments later but Subban speared that with the glove.

The Phantoms were off and running with three consecutive power plays to begin the game but Belleville’s penalty kill held off the young newcomer, Luchanko, as well as the rest of the Phantoms.

The fourth power play was the charm with Grans connecting with Nikita Grebenkin on the move and into the zone. Grebenkin flipped a perfect connection to Samson through a couple of defenders and Samson cranked a shot from the right slot off the left post and in past the blocker of Subban at 13:30 into the contest to give Lehigh Valley the initial 1-0 lead. The Phantoms outshot Belleville 11-4 in the first period and had five power plays as well but the B-Sens hung in there and kept it close.

Stephen Halliday (16th) drove to the net front with a shot that went through Petersen and barely dribbled in across the line while the Phantoms goaltender received some contact in the crease. Tyler Boucher, son of the former Philadelphia Phantoms and Flyers goaltender Brian Boucher, received an assist on the play and almost got credit for the goal but the puck crossed the line before Boucher could nudge it in the rest of the way.

Lehigh Valley (31-26-7) peppered away in the second period with 14 shots on goal and several others that missed or were blocked but somehow couldn’t break Subban.

Some great work in the zone early in the third period preventing Belleville from clearing eventually led to another Phantoms lead. Massimo Rizzo and Hunter McDonald and Louie Belpedio were responsible for several keeps in the zone and Lehigh Valley eventually worked it back to Belpedio who froze everyone with his fake shot. The veteran defenseman quickly connected with Rizzo in the right circle who found an open Desnoyers at the net-front for the chip in to put the Phantoms back on top at 2-1.

A whiffed pass resulted in an easy steal for Rizzo with a chance right in front of the net but his shot just missed upstairs. Moments later, Djibril Torre’s shot from the right point perhaps deflected off a Phantoms’ stick and past the shoulder of Petersen as Belleville tied it at 2-2 at 10:38 into the third.

Djibril Torre had earlier fought with Garrett Wilson in a heavyweight scrap in the second period with Wilson untangling from the big 6’7″ blueliner’s grasp to land some hard connections.

Just 1:23 later, a shot from the left point went off of the former Phantom, Hodgson, at the right of the crease for the go-ahead goal.

Subban’s incredible save on McDonald on the backdoor kept the B-Sens ahead. Lehigh Valley had its eighth power play with 2:46 left and then had Cal Petersen pulled for an extra attacked for a 6-on-5. Desnoyers hustled back to spectacularly steal the puck from Jan Jenik as he was winding to shoot for the empty net to keep the Phantoms alive but it eventually went for naught as the Senators hung on for the 3-2 decision.

The first-rounder, Luchanko, was the #13 overall selection in the 2024 draft. In October he made history as the youngest player in Philadelphia Flyers’ history at 18 years and 1.5 months old. Now joining the Phantoms from the Guelph Storm of the OHL, Luchanko became the second-youngest in Phantoms franchise history at 18y 7m 7d old which is just one week older than Zayde Wisdom was when he debuted on Feburary 6, 2021 at 18y 6m 30d. Luchanko is just the fifth 18-year-old to suit up for the Phantoms also joining Scott Laughton, Nick Cousins and Derek Mathers as well as Wisdom.

Lehigh Valley’s road-trip continues on Saturday at the Laval Rocket who are in first place in the North Division and are also tops in the AHL with 42 wins.

SCORING SUMMARY

1st 13:30 – LV, E. Samson (10) (N. Grebenkin, H. Grans) (PP) (1-0)

2nd 5:04 – BEL, S. Halliday (16) (T. Boucher, F. Roos) (1-1)

3rd 2:58 – LV, E. Desnoyers (5) (M. Rizzo, L. Belpedio) (2-1)
3rd 10:38 – BEL, D. Toure (2) (G. Pilon, P. Daoust) (2-2)
3rd 12:01 – BEL, H. Hodgson (5) (F. Roos, K. Washkurak) (2-3)

Shots:
LV 34 – BEL 23

PP:
LV 1/8, BEL 0/4

Goaltenders:
LV – C. Petersen (L) (11-14-3) (20/23)
BEL – M. Subban (W) (11-6-3) (32/34)

Records:
Lehigh Valley (31-26-7)
Belleville (30-24-8)

UPCOMING

Saturday, March 29 (7:00) – Phantoms at Laval Rocket

Wednesday, April 2 (10:30 am) – Phantoms at Bridgeport Islanders

Friday, April 4 (7:05 pm) – Phantoms vs. Hershey Bears. Berks $1 Hot Dogs

Saturday, April 5 (7:05 pm) – Phantoms vs. Springfield Thunderbirds. Los Fantasmas!

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