The congressman who filed for the impeachment of the judge blocking Donald Trump’s deportations struggled to specify the alleged crime during a live interview.
During an appearance on Trump-friendly Newsmax on Wednesday, Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX) was reminded by host Shaun Kraisman that impeachment requires high crimes and misdemeanors to be committed.
“What crime did the judge commit?” Kraisman asked.
“This is for usurping the executive’s authority, for demeaning the impartiality of the court by making a politicized ruling and forcing a constitutional crisis. That is a high crime and misdemeanor,” Gill replied, unable to specify the judge’s actions that amounted to high crimes.
Courts have the power to strike down executive orders if they are deemed unconstitutional or if the president is found to lack the authority to issue them.
Kraisman then ushered the interview to an end without any follow-up questions, saying, “Congressman Brandon Gill sharing that with us today. We do appreciate the time, Congressman. Thank you so much.”
Gill introduced a resolution to impeach U.S. District Judge James Boasberg on Tuesday, after the Obama-appointed judge blocked President Donald Trump from using a wartime law to deport Venezuelan migrants whom the president claims are gang members over the weekend.
The White House has been accused of defying Boasberg’s order, and the judge on Monday asked the Trump administration to answer his questions about the timing of the deportation flights.
In response, Trump himself called for the judge’s impeachment in a Truth Social post on Tuesday, a move that drew a swift rebuke from Chief Justice John Roberts.
“For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose,” Roberts said in a rare statement on Tuesday.
It is highly unlikely that Gill’s impeachment resolution will be successful as it would require support from more than a dozen Senate Democrats.
