Deputy AG declares "war" on judges, vows to strip bar associations' power

U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche urged young lawyers to join the administration's "war" against "rogue activist judges."The big picture: His stark language exposed how the Trump-aligned Justice Department treats the judiciary less as an independent branch of government and more as an adversary to be fought.Driving the news: "We need you, because it is a war, and it's something we will not win unless we keep on fighting," Blanche said Friday at an annual Federalist Society conference.He said the Justice Department's lawyers are "bouncing around this country fighting these activist judges," who he said are "more political, or certainly as political, as the most liberal governor or" district attorney, Blanche said.Blanche said there were "a group of judges that are repeat players."The other side: Also on Friday, U.S. District Judge Mark Wolf of Massachusetts, a former prosecutor appointed to the bench by former President Ronald Reagan, hung up his robe to publicly push back against the administration.He wrote in a Sunday piece in The Atlantic that his reason for resigning was simple: "I no longer can bear to be restrained by what judges can say publicly or do outside the courtroom."Wolf accused Trump of "using the law for partisan purposes" and said the "White House's assault on the rule of law is so deeply disturbing to me that I feel compelled to speak out.""Silence, for me, is now intolerable." Zoom out: The Trump administration has been locked in a persistent battle with the courts since early in his second term and has labeled judges who stymie Trump's agenda as activists, "rogue" and "deranged."Lawmakers have put forward efforts to oust judges who have ruled against Trump from the bench, including U.S. District Judge James Boasberg of the District of Columbia and U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr. of Rhode Island, who last week ordered the administration to release full funding for November SNAP benefits.Catch up quick: Federal district judges have blocked a number of Trump's sweeping policy goals with injunctions and restraining orders. But the Trump administration has also been accused of openly defying court orders, with MAGA world egging them on.And a Supreme Court ruling in June restricted federal courts' power to issue nationwide injunctions freezing federal policies. What they're saying: Blanche argued the administration is being vindicated at the appellate level."Even in liberal appellate courts, where we have judges that are — that are much more stronger on one side of the aisle than the other, we are routinely getting stays and getting reversals," Blanche said.He said the administration's position "is evidenced by the results we're seeing at the Supreme Court and at the courts of appeals."Zoom out: Blanche also took aim at state bar associations, particularly the D.C. Bar.When asked about DOJ attorneys facing bar complaints, Blanche called the D.C. Bar "one of the most activist, obnoxious bars when it comes to going after conservative lawyers."He vowed to strip away bar associations' oversight power, saying the DOJ would only refer matters to state bars after completing its own review. He said they'll "do everything we can" to take "activist bars … out of the picture."The department will pay for outside counsel for DOJ attorneys fighting bar complaints and is "encouraging them to fight as hard as they can."His remarks came months after Attorney General Pam Bondi's brother lost an election to lead the D.C. Bar.Yes, but: The D.C. courts, not the bar itself, disciplines attorneys. More from Axios: "Calvinball": Judges give rare public rebuke of Supreme CourtReagan-appointed judge accuses White House of "assault on the rule of law"Editor's note: This story was updated with additional context.

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