As Republicans Move to Silence Judges Who Rule Against Trump, Stand Up America Warns of Another Threat: 22 New Trump Judges
By relentlessly testing the limits of executive power, the Trump administration has placed unprecedented strain on our system of checks and balances. In this environment, federal judges are often the first – and sometimes only – defense against Trump’s overreach. So what are Republicans in Congress doing? Holding hearings and advancing legislation to undermine the power of the judiciary and the judges who check Trump’s abuses.
But one of Republicans’ most dangerous efforts is flying under the radar: the JUDGES Act. This bill would give Trump the power to install 22 new federal judges—handpicked loyalists who would shield Trump from accountability and rubberstamp his extreme agenda, including his attempts to cut essential services like health care, food assistance, and education to fund a tax cut for his billionaire donors.
Here’s what you need to know:
TRUMP HAS ALREADY TRANSFORMED THE COURTS
- During his first term, Trump appointed over 200 judges and packed the Supreme Court with three justices, solidifying the right-wing majority that has gutted abortion rights, weakened gun safety laws, and undermined our freedom to vote. Now, Republicans in Congress want to give him even more judicial seats to fill, cementing his impact on the federal judiciary for generations to come.
TRUMP WANTS MORE JUDGES WHO WILL DO HIS BIDDING—AND THE JUDGES ACT WOULD LET HIM PICK 22.
- H.R.1702 would create 66 new district judgeships between now and 2035. If passed, Trump would get to fill 22 of them before his term ends. That’s 22 opportunities to install loyalists like Judge Aileen Cannon, who twisted precedent to protect Trump in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case—and later dismissed it entirely.
- Trump isn’t even hiding what he’s doing. He calls judges “my judges,” demands loyalty, and recently called for a federal judge to be impeached after a ruling he didn’t like.
THE TIMING OF THIS BILL IS NO COINCIDENCE—IT’S A POWER GRAB.
- Last year, the Senate passed the JUDGES Act to give a future president new judgeships without knowing who would benefit. But House Republicans broke a long-standing tradition and refused to take action until after the 2024 election—when they knew Trump would be back and could stack the bench with MAGA loyalists.
- Now, Trump and Congressional Republicans don’t like that the federal judiciary is standing in the way of Trump’s illegal power grab, so they want to install judges who will say yes to Trump.
- Some Democrats are feeling pressure to support the bill to ease caseloads in their districts—but doing so would give Trump more unchecked power.
To speak with a Stand Up America spokesperson about our campaign to defeat the JUDGES Act, please contact: press@standupamerica.com.