A second federal judge has become the latest target of an impeachment effort led by hard-right Republicans, intensifying their crusade against jurists who defy former President Donald Trump’s agenda.
Representative Andy Ogles of Tennessee announced Monday that he had filed a resolution to oust U.S. District Judge John Bates, who recently ruled against the Trump administration’s move to erase federal health websites containing information on gender-affirming care. Ogles framed the decision as an ideological affront, arguing that Bates’ ruling perpetuated what he called a “grave moral evil.”
The impeachment bid, though highly improbable, underscores a growing movement among Trump’s Republican allies to punish judges issuing unfavorable rulings. Earlier, House Republicans moved to impeach U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer in Manhattan after he temporarily blocked a federal cost-cutting initiative tied to billionaire Elon Musk, preventing it from accessing Treasury Department systems.
Musk has been vocal in his support for these efforts, taking to social media to label Bates as “corrupt” and “evil” while urging lawmakers to act. “Time to impeach judges who violate the law,” he posted.
Despite the high bar for impeachment—requiring a two-thirds majority in the Senate, which Republicans lack—this latest push signals a broader strategy to challenge judicial independence. Legal experts have condemned the move, calling it an attempt at intimidation. “This is completely inappropriate,” said John Collins, a law professor at George Washington University.
Bates’ ruling, issued earlier this month, stemmed from a lawsuit by the medical advocacy group Doctors for America. The group argued that stripping the CDC and FDA websites of critical health information hindered doctors and researchers in their efforts to combat disease. Trump’s executive order, signed on his first day back in office, mandated that federal agencies recognize only two biological sexes—leading to the contested website removals.
While Ogles and his allies push forward, the reality remains that judicial impeachments are exceedingly rare. But with Trump’s influence shaping the Republican agenda, symbolic battles like this may become a recurring theme in Washington’s escalating political warfare.
