In a stunning escalation of rhetoric from Capitol Hill, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson signaled that Congress could wield its constitutional hammer to wipe entire district courts off the map—a response, he said, to what he sees as a judiciary run amok.
Standing before reporters in Washington, Johnson fumed over a spate of nationwide injunctions that have kneecapped Republican frontrunner Donald Trump’s policy ambitions. These rulings, according to Johnson, reflect a “dangerous trend” that undermines the will of voters and upends the separation of powers.
“When a judge thinks they can override the decisions of a president elected by the American people, we’re in dangerous territory,” Johnson said at his weekly briefing. He promised that the House Judiciary Committee would soon drag the matter into public view with hearings aimed at exposing what he called “judicial abuse.”
In his most eyebrow-raising comment, Johnson reminded the press of Congress’s constitutional clout. “We do have authority over the federal courts. We can eliminate a district court. We control the purse. These are desperate times—and Congress is going to act.”
Pressed later, Johnson attempted to tamp down alarm, insisting his words were “not a threat” but a reminder of legislative reach. But the tremor had already been felt.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer slammed the remarks as “outrageous,” warning against any move to defund or dismantle the judiciary.
Nationwide injunctions, though now caught in a partisan crossfire, have historically been wielded by judges regardless of which party holds the White House. Any bill to limit them is expected to hit a wall in the Senate, where Democrats still hold enough sway to block it.
Johnson’s comments also came on the heels of mounting pressure from his party’s hardline flank, which has filed impeachment resolutions against six federal judges—among them, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg. Boasberg drew conservative ire after halting a Trump administration move to deport hundreds of Venezuelan migrants.
Even Trump, never shy about going after judges, called for Boasberg’s removal. That prompted an unusually pointed rebuke from Chief Justice John Roberts, who reminded all parties that “impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision.”
Whether Johnson’s remarks are the opening salvo in a war on the judiciary or just political theater remains to be seen—but one thing’s clear: the speaker isn’t bluffing about how far the House might go.
