May 28, 2025 - Politics & Policy

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

Sareen Habeshian

Former US President Donald Trump, left, and Emil Bove, attorney for former US President Donald Trump, right, at Manhattan criminal court in New York, US, on Thursday, May 30, 2024. The New York jury in Donald Trump's hush money case has begun deliberations, setting the stage for a historic verdict t — President Trump, left, and Emil Bove, his attorney, at Manhattan criminal court in New York on May 30, 2024. Photo: Steven Hirsch/New York Post/Bloomberg via Getty Images

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.

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

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