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Ex-judges blast top Trump DOJ official for declaring ‘war’ on courts
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A group of former federal judges sharply criticized a top Justice Department official this week for characterizing the court fights playing out in President Donald Trump’s second term as a «war» against so-called «activist judges» — remarks they described as unnecessarily inflammatory, and amounting to «pouring oil» on an already fast-burning fire.
Todd Blanche, the deputy attorney general, spoke colorfully last week during a fireside chat hosted by the Federalist Society. Blanche used his time to excoriate federal judges for pausing or blocking some of Trump’s biggest executive orders and actions since January, and to urge young lawyers and law students in the audience to fight back. «It is a war,» Blanche said, «and it is something we will not win unless we keep on fighting.»
The judges «have a robe on, but they are more political, or as political, as the most liberal governor or D.A.,» Blanche added.
His remarks prompted rebuke from the New York State Bar Association and from the Article III Coalition — a group of 50 former federal judges appointed by Democratic and Republican presidents.
JUDGES V TRUMP: HERE ARE THE KEY COURT BATTLES HALTING THE WHITE HOUSE AGENDA
Todd Blanche, nominee for U.S. deputy attorney general, testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington, D.C., on February 12. (Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
This type of rhetoric, «especially when voiced by high-ranking officials — not only endangers individual judges and court staff, but also undermines the public’s trust in the judiciary as an impartial and co-equal branch of government,» the judges said in a letter.
In a series of interviews this week, several former judges told Fox News Digital they were shocked by Blanche’s remarks, which they described as a departure from longstanding Justice Department norms and a threat to the judiciary both as an institution and to the individual judges who serve on the bench.
One judge said Blanche’s remarks were «wildly different from all prior decades, and under all prior administrations» he experienced in his more than 60-year career in D.C.
«I’ve been in Washington since 1974, continuously, and I’ve never seen anything like it,» Paul R. Michel, the former chief judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, told Fox News Digital in an interview.
Michel formerly served as a special prosecutor in the Watergate investigation, a role in which he personally interviewed former President Nixon. «It’s just startling for the deputy attorney general to be functioning as a PR ‘hatchet man’ instead of a law enforcement official,» he said of Blanche’s remarks.
Michel and others in the group of retired judges told Fox News Digital that they fear the rhetoric used could further erode public trust in the judiciary — a branch that the framers designed to interpret the law impartially and to serve as a check against excesses of the other branches, regardless of politics or the administration in charge.
They noted that while parties often disagree with a decision, or a near-term temporary order or motion, both the Justice Department and the opposing parties have a readily available mechanism to seek relief via the appeals process.
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U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks as U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during a press conference in the Oval Office on Oct. 15, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Parties looking to challenge a temporary order or other form of injunctive relief can proceed with having the district court evaluate the case on its merits, or kick it to the U.S. Court of Appeals — and, in some cases, the Supreme Court, for review, Philip Pro, a former U.S. District Judge in Nevada appointed by President Ronald Reagan, told Fox News Digital.
Federal judges have attempted to issue near-term or emergency orders temporarily blocking some of Trump’s biggest policy priorities, including on immigration enforcement, birthright citizenship and sweeping layoffs across the federal government. The administration has responded to the lower court actions by seeking emergency relief from the higher courts, via emergency stays — which Blanche also touted during his remarks last week.
Judges are «totally reactive» by design, Pro said. «We’re sitting in our districts. The cases are randomly assigned.»
«There is nothing ‘rogue’ about these decisions,» Pro added. «Those wheels grind slowly, but they grind exceedingly well, and that’s the way you get resolution.»
Josh Blackman, a professor at the South Texas College of Law who attended the fireside remarks, told Fox News Digital in an interview that he is sympathetic to the concerns voiced by the judges, but he also understands the broader issue Blanche may have been trying to get at — which is, the power the courts have to review the actions of the executive branch.
This has emerged as a particular pain point not only for Trump but for his predecessors as well, each of whom has sought to enact some of their policy priorities via executive order in a bid to sidestep a clunky and slow-moving Congress.
Those actions are therefore more vulnerable to emergency intervention from the federal courts, Blackman said — though the degree to which judges can or should act in this space is the subject of ongoing debate.
«I don’t see Blanche’s comments as calling for violence,» Blackman said. «I think it’s more trying to say that there’s just this struggle between the executive branch and the judiciary that is not normal,» he said.
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The Supreme Court building is seen at dusk. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Trump is far from the first president to publicly complain about «activist» judges for hampering his policies — such criticisms stretch back decades and include former presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Richard Nixon, among others.
Still, the judges say they are concerned by Blanche’s remarks, which are a stark departure from what they experienced in their own careers, including while serving as federal prosecutors.
«Calling judges ‘rogue’ because they apply the law in a politically unfavorable way is a fundamental misunderstanding of the role of the judiciary in our constitutional structure,» Allyson K. Duncan, a former judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, said in a statement.
Michel, the former special prosecutor for the Watergate investigation, noted he worked for two successive deputy attorneys general, in the «exact post Blanche now holds» — but who gave much different marching orders, he recalled.
«Their instructions to me were, ‘Politics are outside the boundaries for Justice Department employees,’ and politics are ‘not to have any influence,’» he said. «We were not to pay any attention to what somebody in the White House might say, or in the media, or elsewhere — we were to be a ‘politics-free zone.’»
«That seemed to me to be entirely appropriate,» Michel said. «The power to investigate, the power to indict, and the power to indict and the power to prosecute and convict are awesome, awesome powers,» he added.
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The group also cited concerns for their colleagues who remain on the bench at a time when public threats to judges have increased, according to data from U.S. Marshals. This includes online harassment, threats of physical violence, and «doxxing» judges at their home addresses by sending them unsolicited pizzas. Some deliveries have been made in the name of a judge’s son, who was shot and killed in 2020 after opening the door to a disgruntled individual disguised as a delivery person.
The number of threats made against federal judges in 2025 has outpaced threats from the past 12-month period, according to the U.S. Marshals Service, prompting a push for Congress to take action.
«Deputy Attorney General Blanche’s remarks reflect a reality the Department of Justice confronts every day: a growing number of activist judges attempting to set national policy from the bench,» a spokesperson for the Justice Department told Fox News Digital on Friday in response to a request for comment.
«The department will continue to follow the Constitution, defend its lawful authorities, and push back when activist rulings threaten public safety or undermine the will of the American people.»
federal judges,donald trump,supreme court,federal courts,politics,judiciary
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Greenland’s rejection of President Donald Trump sending a U.S. military hospital ship has touched off a private-public healthcare debate amid ongoing diplomatic talks about Arctic security.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on Sunday turned down Trump’s offer, and now Trump special envoy to Greenland, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, has weighed in.
«Shame on Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen!» Landry wrote in response to a Fox News report on Nielsen’s objection. «President Donald J. Trump and America care. After speaking to many Greenlanders about the day to day problems they face, one issue stood out — healthcare.»
Greenland has sought more self-governance from Denmark under the Self Government Act in 2009 to take more local authority under home rule, but Danish officials’ instant rejection of Trump’s offer is aligned with Greenland’s own rejection that came later Sunday.
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Greenland has rejected the Trump administration’s push to take over the Danish territory. (Thomas Traasdahl/Ritzau Scanpix / AFP via Getty Images; Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
«President Trump’s idea of sending an American hospital ship here to Greenland has been noted,» Nielsen wrote in a translated Facebook post. «But we have a public healthcare system where treatment is free for citizens.
«It is a deliberate choice.»
Greenland remains open to dialogue and cooperation with the U.S., with a caveat, according to Nielsen.
«But talk to us instead of just making more or less random outbursts on social media,» Nielsen said in his own public Facebook protestation.
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Louisiana GOP Gov. Jeff Landry speaks during a meeting with President Donald Trump last year. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Greenland’s «free for citizens» care is not sufficient, Landry argued in his Facebook response posted to his campaign’s page.
«Many villages and small towns lack basic services that Americans often take for granted,» Landry’s post continued. «Small settlements are without permanent doctors, diagnostic tools, or specialist care – forcing residents to travel great distances for vital treatments that should be available at home.»
The healthcare issue underlies the overreaching Trump hopes to annex Greenland to secure the strategic Arctic region from Russian and Chinese designs, calling it a vital issue for «national security» for both the U.S. and the NATO alliance.
«A healthy Greenland is vital for America’s national security,» Landry’s post concluded. «America is committed to defending Greenland, and that begins by ensuring its people are defended against basic illnesses and ailments.
«These missions matter because health is inseparable from security. America’s commitment to defending Greenland must begin with ensuring its people are healthy.»
The recent dust-up came after Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command evacuated a crew member who required urgent medical treatment from a U.S. submarine in Greenlandic waters, seven nautical miles outside of Greenland’s capital of Nuuk.
«Working with the fantastic Governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, we are going to send a great hospital boat to Greenland to take care of the many people who are sick, and not being taken care of there,» Trump wrote Saturday night on Truth Social. «It’s on the way!!!»
That post sparked objection from both Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Sunday.
«The Greenlandic population receives the healthcare it needs,» Poulsen told Danish broadcaster DR, according to Reuters. «They receive it either in Greenland, or, if they require specialized treatment, they receive it in Denmark.
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«So it’s not as if there’s a need for a special healthcare initiative in Greenland.»
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is rejecting President Donald Trump’s offer to send a U.S. military hospital ship to Greenland, suggesting Denmark’s public healthcare system is sufficient. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images; Kirsty Wigglesworth – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Frederiksen spun the Trump offer into a political debate on public healthcare.
«Am happy to live in a country where there is free and equal access to health for all,» Frederiksen wrote in a translated post, sharing a Democrat attack point on Trump’s Republican Party’s struggles to reform what Trump has rebuked as a «failure» of Obamacare. «Where it’s not insurances and wealth that determine whether you get proper treatment. You have the same approach in Greenland.»
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The U.S. Navy has two hospital ships, the Mercy and the Comfort. Both were last docked in Alabama for repairs, according to Reuters.
greenland,health care healthy living,foreign policy,nato,donald trump,state department
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was re-elected as general secretary of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, according to a press release from the country’s state-run media.
The decision was announced on Monday by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), which said the party formally adopted the measure on Feb. 22 during its Ninth Congress.
KCNA described the move as reflecting the «unanimous desire» of party members, the military and the public, praising Kim as the «centre of unity and leadership» and crediting him with strengthening the country’s nuclear deterrence and advancing economic and military development.
The lengthy statement highlighted the country’s achievements over the past five years, including improvements to national defense capabilities and economic planning.
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In this photo provided by the North Korean government, leader Kim Jong Un claps after being re-elected to the top post of the ruling Workers’ Party during its congress in Pyongyang on Feb. 22, 2026. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
It also reaffirmed Kim’s role as the guiding figure in the country’s «socialist construction.»
Kim, who has been in power since 2011, has served as general secretary of the Workers’ Party since 2021, when he formally assumed the title previously held by his late father, Kim Jong Il.
An analysis by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) suggests North Korea could use the conclusion of the Ninth Party Congress to unveil new strategic weapons and highlight progress under its 2021–2025 military modernization plan.
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In this photo provided by the North Korean government, leader Kim Jong Un attends the ruling Workers’ Party Congress in Pyongyang on Feb. 22, 2026. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
The report notes Pyongyang may showcase advances in intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles and hypersonic glide vehicles as it seeks to improve the survivability and accuracy of its nuclear capabilities.
AEI assessed that Kim is also likely to outline modernization goals for the 2026–2030 period, potentially emphasizing second-strike capabilities, faster launch readiness and more diverse delivery systems.
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Beyond military issues, the analysis says Kim may frame the current five-year economic plan as a success, pointing to increased trade with Russia and China and efforts under his «20×10 Regional Development Policy» to reduce rural-urban disparities.
north korea,kim jong un,world
Panamá avanza en su objetivo de ampliar el Humedal Ramsar Punta Patiño mediante recorridos técnicos, monitoreo ambiental y trabajo comunitario desarrollados en la provincia de Darién, en un proceso que busca fortalecer la protección de uno de los ecosistemas más relevantes del país.
Guardaparques del Ministerio de Ambiente (MiAmbiente) y de la Asociación Nacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (ANCÓN) realizaron patrullajes terrestres y marítimos enfocados en verificar límites actuales, evaluar zonas propuestas para anexión y recopilar información científica que sustente la ampliación.
Las acciones incluyeron 32 kilómetros por vía acuática y 8 kilómetros por vía terrestre, abarcando límites perimetrales actuales y territorios considerados estratégicos para la conectividad ecológica.
En paralelo, se desarrollaron espacios de diálogo comunitario con representantes de Punta Alegre, Taimatí, Sambú y Garachine, donde se abordaron beneficios ambientales, alcances del proyecto y zonas de interés prioritario que podrían incorporarse al sitio Ramsar.
El proceso contempló también trabajos científicos en campo, incluyendo monitoreo de aves, evaluaciones forestales y establecimiento de parcelas de investigación, elementos que forman parte del sustento técnico requerido para la ampliación.
Equipos especializados realizaron muestreos de agua con instrumentos multiparámetro, mediciones de salinidad y temperatura, colecta de zooplancton y registros de profundidad, con el objetivo de evaluar la salud del ecosistema y su dinámica hidrológica.
Dentro de la ruta de evaluación se incluyeron Guagaral, Playa Cueca, lagunas cercanas a Sambú y sectores próximos a Garachine, áreas consideradas clave para justificar la expansión del humedal y fortalecer la conservación del Corredor Biológico Serranía de Bagre.
En la comunidad de Punta Alegre, autoridades presentaron mapas topográficos y trabajaron con residentes en la delimitación participativa de zonas potenciales para anexión, registrando el proceso mediante fotografías georreferenciadas.
La Reserva Natural Privada Punta Patiño, administrada por ANCÓN, constituye la primera reserva natural privada del país y protege una de las muestras más representativas del bosque tropical panameño, con ecosistemas que incluyen manglares, humedales costeros y bosques inundables.
Su integración al sistema Ramsar responde a la importancia ecológica del área, particularmente como hábitat de especies, regulador hídrico y barrera natural frente a eventos climáticos extremos.
Un sitio Ramsar es un humedal reconocido internacionalmente bajo la Convención Ramsar, tratado ambiental que promueve la conservación y uso sostenible de estos ecosistemas debido a su valor para la biodiversidad, el almacenamiento de carbono, la mitigación de inundaciones y el sustento de comunidades locales.
En materia normativa, Panamá incorporó la Convención Ramsar mediante la Ley 6 de 1989 y cuenta con disposiciones como la Ley General de Ambiente (Ley 41 de 1998), normas de ordenamiento territorial, regulaciones sobre manglares y la Política Nacional de Humedales aprobada en 2018.
La ampliación de Punta Patiño se inserta en esa estrategia global de protección de humedales de importancia internacional.
Panamá cuenta con otros sitios Ramsar como Bahía de Panamá, San San Pond Sak y el Golfo de Montijo, reconocidos por su relevancia para aves migratorias, manglares y ecosistemas costeros, lo que refleja la diversidad de humedales presentes en el país.
En ese contexto, la ampliación de Punta Patiño busca incrementar la cobertura protegida, mejorar la gestión ambiental y reforzar la conectividad entre ecosistemas terrestres y marinos.
Desde el punto de vista ecológico, la expansión propuesta apunta a proteger zonas de transición entre bosques, manglares y áreas marinas, ecosistemas que funcionan como corredores biológicos y refugios para especies amenazadas.
Autoridades ambientales señalan que la incorporación de nuevas áreas permitiría fortalecer procesos de restauración, mejorar la vigilancia ambiental y ampliar el monitoreo científico dentro del sitio Ramsar.
El componente comunitario constituye un eje central del proceso, ya que la ampliación requiere participación local y reconocimiento de usos tradicionales del territorio.
Las reuniones desarrolladas durante los patrullajes permitieron identificar preocupaciones, oportunidades de conservación y posibles beneficios socioeconómicos, incluyendo ecoturismo, investigación científica y programas de educación ambiental vinculados al humedal.
El proceso de ampliación continuará con evaluaciones técnicas, consultas comunitarias y revisión cartográfica, etapas necesarias para sustentar la modificación de límites y su eventual reconocimiento internacional.
Las autoridades destacan que la iniciativa busca consolidar la protección de Punta Patiño dentro del sistema Ramsar y reforzar el papel de los humedales como infraestructura natural clave para la resiliencia ambiental del país.
Igualmente, señalan que la gestión futura de los humedales debe priorizar el ordenamiento territorial, el control del turismo, la protección de cuencas hidrográficas y la integración de estos ecosistemas en las políticas de adaptación al cambio climático.
La presión sobre los humedales panameños se ha incrementado en los últimos años como resultado de la expansión urbana, los rellenos, los cambios en el uso del suelo, el turismo no regulado, la contaminación y los efectos del cambio climático.
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