Utah Republican Calls For 'Corrupt' Judges Removal After Trump's Federal Fund Freeze Gets Hit With Hard Deadline

Republican Senator Mike Lee has renewed his call for judicial reform following multiple federal court rulings that blocked key executive orders issued by President Donald Trump, including one that has given the government a hard deadline to unfreeze foreign aid. Lee, a longtime critic of what he calls "judicial activism," took to X on Wednesday with a concise but clear message that read: "Corrupt judges should be impeached. And removed. Pass it on if you agree."

Lee's call comes on the heels of significant judicial rulings in recent days. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Jamal Whitehead blocked Trump's executive order suspending the U.S. refugee admission program, ruling that it unlawfully circumvented congressional authority. "The president has substantial discretion ... to suspend refugee admissions. But that authority is not limitless," said Whitehead in his ruling, which was based on arguments from refugee advocacy groups who contended that the order effectively nullified laws enacted by Congress to facilitate refugee resettlement.

Days earlier, U.S. District Judge Adam Abelson issued a preliminary injunction against Trump's executive orders targeting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. Abelson found that Trump's directive was too vague to enforce and failed to define key terms, such as "equity-related" and "illegal DEI policies," leaving recipients uncertain about compliance.

Moreover, the administration is approaching a hard deadline given by a federal judge to unfreeze some foreign aid. Concretely, Judge Amir H. Ali gave until Wednesday midnight Eastern time to comply with the order and disburse funds pending the outcome of a lawsuit brought forward by two health organizations.

Parties took part in a hearing on Tuesday focused on evidence that the Trump administration was seeking to find workarounds to prevent that outcome, The New York Times reported. Judge Ali repeatedly asked the DOJ lawyer what steps the Trump administration had taken to release funds, with the lawyer failing to provide answers.

The string of legal defeats has drawn sharp criticism from Trump allies who have ramped up the rhetoric that courts cannot control the president's power. Vice President J.D. Vance was one of the first to spearhead the idea a few weeks back on his X feed, claiming that the judiciary is overstepping its constitutional role:

Billionaire Elon Musk, who spearheads the government's effort to slash spending through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) said "the only way to restore rule of the people in America is to impeach judges." No one is above the law, including judges.That is what it took to fix El Salvador. Same applies to America," he added.

Trump himself weighed in last week on social media by stating that "he who saves his Country does not violate any Law," a remark that led to critics accusing him of attempting to place himself above judicial review:

Lee has responded by advocating for legislative measures that would require a three-judge panel, rather than a single district court judge, to issue nationwide injunctions against executive actions.

"The federal judiciary must uphold the system of checks and balances, including restraining the Executive Branch when it violates the Constitution," Lee said in a statement reported by Utah's KSL. "At the same time, separation of powers is potentially implicated whenever a single district court judge issues an injunction against the entire U.S. government."