Trump Targets Repeat Offenders and Rogue Judges Ahead of Midterms

President Trump called on Republicans to pass a new crime bill imposing "penalties for dangerous repeat offenders" and cracking "down on rogue judges," telling a Republican gathering he wants to target judges for handing down decisions that "hurt our country." The remarks, delivered ahead of the 2026 midterms, landed as federal courts have been piling up rulings against the administration with striking frequency.

U.S. District Court Judge Karin J. Immergut, who was appointed by Trump himself, ruled that the administration could not deploy the National Guard to Portland, one of the most prominent legal setbacks in a string of courtroom defeats on immigration and law enforcement. Trump made his frustration public, telling reporters: "I appointed the judge and she goes like that. So I wasn't served well, obviously."

That frustration has now escalated into open political warfare. U.S. district and appeals courts are increasingly rebuking Trump's moves on crime, illegal immigration, and other actions, with judges rejecting emergency claims as legally unfounded. Legal scholars and former judges note that the federal judge in Oregon received bipartisan praise throughout her career and has issued rulings that could be viewed as benefiting both left- and right-wing causes. The broader pattern is similar: the judicial pushback has come from judges appointed by Republicans and Democrats alike, including judges Trump himself placed on the bench.

Despite a growing body of lower-court rulings against the administration, the Supreme Court remains a potential check on that resistance. The court's 6-3 conservative majority has issued rulings that legal analysts say have markedly expanded presidential powers, and some lower-court decisions may yet be reversed on appeal. The Portland deployment case could ultimately reach the Supreme Court.

The confrontation between Trump and the judiciary has drawn international attention. El Salvador's Nayib Bukele, whom The Guardian characterizes as an authoritarian leader, urged the Trump administration to emulate his governance model and impeach "corrupt judges." Bukele put it in stark terms, tweeting: "If you don't impeach the corrupt judges, you CANNOT fix the country." Elon Musk, the multi-billionaire and MAGA ally, amplified the message, retweeting it as "essential."

Top Trump adviser Stephen Miller had already described Immergut's rulings as "legal insurrection," while Trump said over the weekend the judge "ought to be ashamed of himself," misstating her gender. Legal experts, however, say the rulings are fully grounded in fact and reflect deep skepticism of the administration's sweeping claims of executive emergency authority.

Republicans will head into the 2026 midterms facing a real chance of losing control of the House. Whether Trump's assault on the judiciary becomes a winning campaign message or a political liability may depend on whether voters see the courts as a safeguard worth defending or an obstacle to a law-and-order presidency.