A majority of voters say they support impeaching James Boasberg, the federal judge linked to the Biden administration’s “Arctic Frost” investigation, which reportedly involved surveillance of Republican members of Congress.
Meanwhile, 26% of respondents said they do not consider the controversy serious, including 12% who said it is “not at all” serious, Just the News reported.
The survey comes amid a GOP-led effort to make Boasberg the first impeached judge since 2010. A total of 15 federal judges have been impeached by the House, but only eight were removed by the Senate.
Republican lawmakers in the House want to move against Boasberg after revelations that he and Judge Beryl Howell issued non-disclosure orders shielding nearly 200 subpoenas targeting Republican organizations, officials, and donors under former Special Counsel Jack Smith, who was appointed by the Biden Justice Department.
Last week, Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas) said he is drafting articles of impeachment against Boasberg. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) also signaled his intent to pursue impeachment. It is not yet clear whether Howell will also face similar action, The National Pulse reported.
The outlet added that Smith issued 197 subpoenas affecting more than 430 Republican groups and individuals as part of what is being described as the “Arctic Frost” probe. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) called the investigation a “fishing expedition” targeting the Republican political apparatus.
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Among the subpoenas were requests for telecom companies to hand over cell data from about a dozen Republican lawmakers. The disclosure orders signed by Boasberg and Howell prevented the companies from notifying the affected members.
“Radical activist judge James Boasberg continues to weaponize his judicial authority and target his political opponents,” Gill said in a statement. “Judge Boasberg facilitated the egregious Arctic Frost scandal, where he equipped the Biden DOJ to spy on Republican senators. His lack of integrity makes him clearly unfit for the gavel.”
Boasberg, appointed by former President Barack Obama, serves as chief judge for the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. He has faced criticism in the past for rulings that affected Trump administration policies.
According to reports, the subpoenas targeted political vendors and financial institutions linked to Trump-aligned PACs, suggesting that Smith’s office sought to trace potential monetary connections between consulting firms, advisors, and nonprofits. The goal appeared to be establishing grounds for possible RICO charges if prosecutors had secured a conviction against Trump.
In March, Representative Andy Biggs of Arizona introduced a resolution to remove Judge Boasberg from office under Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution — an approach that would bypass impeachment and the two-thirds vote required in the Senate, JustTheNews reported.
Biggs said federal judges “serve during good behavior” and argued that Congress has the authority to remove those who fail to meet that standard.
“Most Americans believe that there is lifetime tenure for a federal judge. That unless impeached, a federal judge can serve until death,” Biggs told Just the News. “But lifetime tenure is not guaranteed, nor mentioned, in the Constitution. Article III, Section 1 permits a federal judge to serve only ‘during good behavior.’”
Boasberg had previously blocked President Trump from using the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport illegal immigrants alleged to be members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. He ordered government planes en route to El Salvador carrying the alleged gang members to return to the United States.
Biggs said such actions exceeded judicial authority and interfered with presidential powers over foreign policy and national security.
“Maybe firing such a judge could be the answer,” Biggs said. “It would certainly be specific deterrence that would prevent that type of misconduct from such a judge. And it would provide general deterrence in that all other federal judges would think more about applying the law to the case rather than attempting to twist the law so that the judge can attack a political adversary.”
An Oklahoma caller to C-SPAN who identified himself as a lifelong Democrat and 2024 voter for former Vice President Kamala Harris said Friday that he is disgusted with his party and plans to leave it.
According to the RealClearPolling average, the Democratic Party’s favorability has fallen to just 34.7 percent — reflecting growing frustration among rank-and-file voters.
Speaking on Washington Journal, the caller singled out Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for criticism, saying both should step aside and allow new leadership to take over.
“I’ve been a Democrat all my life. I’m 78 — and my folks were too — but this party has changed so damn much,” the caller said.
“It makes me sick. I’m going to move out of it. It’s terrible. Schumer, he needs to be in a home. Take Pelosi with him,” the caller added, per the Daily Caller.
The caller said he had voted for Harris out of party loyalty rather than genuine support.
Earlier in the week, a Pennsylvania Democrat who phoned into Washington Journal voiced similar frustration, saying she would no longer vote for Democratic candidates. She cited dissatisfaction with the party’s handling of the ongoing government shutdown, which began on Oct. 1 after Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) rallied nearly all Senate Democrats to block a bipartisan funding bill.
“I have a problem with my party, and I’m not going to change my party,” she said. “I just won’t vote for a Democrat.”
In an August segment of Washington Journal, three Democratic callers sharply criticized their own party when asked whether they were satisfied with its direction.
Their complaints ranged from perceived weakness in leadership to an excessive focus on attacking former President Donald Trump and a broader shift toward the far left.
“I’m registered Democrat, but I hate my party. I haven’t voted for a Democrat really in the elections in quite a while. And yes, I voted Republican many times because I like the policies better. Democrats have had terrible policies,” one caller said.
“And now we have the rise of the so-called progressives. They’re really regressives. People like the Squad and [Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria] Ocasio-Cortez and now [Zohran] Mamdani, who might become the mayor of New York City — he’s a proven socialist and Marxist as well as an antisemite,” the caller added.
Mamdani is currently leading in the polls and looks set to defeat former New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Additionally, an August analysis by The New York Times found that between 2020 and 2024, the Democratic Party lost roughly 2.1 million registered voters nationwide, while the Republican Party gained about 2.4 million over the same period.
Meanwhile, Teamsters President Sean O’Brien on Thursday called for an immediate end to the government shutdown, warning that the standoff is hurting the U.S. aviation industry and working families across the country.
Standing outside the West Wing of the White House, O’Brien was joined by Vice President JD Vance and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in urging Congress — particularly Senate Democrats — to “end the shutdown” and pass a clean continuing resolution to reopen the government.
O’Brien, who leads the 1.4 million-member International Brotherhood of Teamsters, has recently cast himself as an independent force in national politics, breaking from both parties when he believes workers are being used as leverage.
“We took a position three weeks ago,” O’Brien said. “Pass a clean CR, get to the table, negotiate a deal. Do not put working people in the middle of a problem. They should not be in there.”
He said the shutdown’s impact goes far beyond politics, noting that thousands of working families are already feeling the strain of missed paychecks and halted operations.
“And we have got to think about the families that are going to be affected,” O’Brien said. “Think about when you have to tell your son or daughter they can’t play sports because you’re not getting paid. Think about when you can’t pay your mortgage. Think about when you can’t pay your tuition.”