President Donald J. Trump has done what he does best: ignored the Beltway pearl-clutchers, sidestepped the media gatekeepers, and dropped a judicial nomination that has the left spinning like a hamster on a caffeine drip. Emil Bove, former Trump defense attorney, current Justice Department bulldog, and soon-to-be federal appeals judge if all goes to plan, is now officially in the running for a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. And predictably, the usual suspects are foaming at the mouth.
Let’s take a moment to appreciate the delicious irony here. After spending years accusing Trump of undermining institutions, these same Democrats are now tripping over themselves to accuse him of… undermining institutions. All because he dared to nominate someone who isn’t interested in playing nice with the bureaucratic elite. Someone who believes in actual consequences for breaking the law. Someone, in other words, who isn’t just another robe-wearing rubber stamp for progressive causes.
Of course, the left is already trotting out their tired accusations—“loyalist,” “partisan,” “controversial.” The same people who thought it was perfectly fine for Obama to stack the courts with his Harvard buddies now think Trump’s pick is the end of judicial independence as we know it. The real issue here isn’t that Bove is too political. It’s that he’s the wrong kind of political. He doesn’t see the Constitution as a suggestion. He sees it as binding. And that, for today’s left, is downright subversive.
Let’s not forget who Emil Bove is. This isn’t some armchair theorist or glorified law professor who’s never seen the inside of a courtroom. This is a guy who spent nearly a decade as a U.S. prosecutor in one of the toughest jurisdictions in the country. Then he went on to defend Trump in court—successfully, mind you—and played a key role in dragging the Department of Justice out of its bureaucratic slumber and back into the business of law enforcement. If his tactics are “aggressive,” maybe it’s because he’s had to wade knee-deep through institutional rot just to get things done.
Couldn’t be prouder of my friend Emil Bove on his nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. I’ve known Emil for years and his dedication to this country, along with his integrity and brilliant legal mind will make him an excellent judge. Well earned, my… pic.twitter.com/cwH7a5e2cL
— Todd Blanche (@DAGToddBlanche) May 28, 2025
And the criticisms? Please. A bunch of DOJ staffers quit because they couldn’t stomach doing their jobs? That’s not a scandal. That’s a clean-up. That’s housecleaning at a federal level, and frankly, it’s long overdue. For years, we’ve watched judges legislate from the bench, federal prosecutors play politics, and intelligence agencies act like they’re a fourth branch of government. If Bove wants to turn over some tables, maybe it’s because the temple’s been overrun by hypocrites.
Then there’s this performative panic over Bove’s supposed “politicization” of justice. Where was that energy when Merrick Garland was sicking the FBI on school board parents? Or when the DOJ was redefining “domestic terrorism” to mean “anyone who votes Republican”? Suddenly, enforcing federal law evenly is a bridge too far? That’s rich.
But let’s not overlook the strategic brilliance here. Trump isn’t just nominating Bove for his resume or courtroom chops. He’s sending a message—one that resonates loud and clear with Americans who are tired of watching the law get twisted into a tool for progressive retribution. A lifetime appointment means Bove’s not going anywhere, no matter how many op-eds the New York Times prints. And that’s precisely what the left is afraid of.
🚨 BREAKING: President Trump has nominated Emil Bove to the U.S. Court of Appeals (Third Circuit)
• Georgetown Law grad
• Former Assistant U.S. Attorney in SDNY
• Co-Chief of Terrorism & International Narcotics
• FEARED by the corrupt, RESPECTED by allThis man is smart,… pic.twitter.com/zo8Z9CfL3D
— Tony Lane 🇺🇸 (@TonyLaneNV) May 28, 2025
Because deep down, they know Bove represents a return to consequences. To order. To a Justice Department that’s feared by criminals instead of coddling them. His nomination is a warning shot to every activist judge and bureaucratic saboteur who thinks they’re above the Constitution. Trump isn’t playing by their rules. He’s writing his own. And with Bove on the bench, the rule of law might just make a comeback.
So cue the outrage. Cue the sanctimony. But understand this: Trump didn’t pick Bove to play nice. He picked him to win. And judging by the volume of the left’s howls, he’s already halfway there.
