Trump nominates his former defense lawyer to serve as federal appellate judge

Axios

28-05-2025

President Trump nominated his former personal attorney Emil Bove to serve as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit on Wednesday.
The big picture: Trump has sought to exert the power of the executive branch over the judiciary, and appointing Bove — who represented him in several criminal cases — to a key federal appeals court seat could help the president's agenda.
Driving the news: "Emil is SMART, TOUGH, and respected by everyone," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Wednesday.
"He will end the Weaponization of Justice, restore the Rule of Law, and do anything else that is necessary to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN," he said, adding, "Emil Bove will never let you down!"
Context: Bove was appointed by Trump in his second term to the No. 3 spot in the Department of Justice.
He was among the DOJ officials pushing to drop charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams in a dramatic battle between the Trump loyalists and career civil servants.
Bove previously represented Trump in a number of high profile cases, including the classified documents case and his effort to overturn the 2020 election case brought by special counsel Jack Smith.