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You are here: Home / Politics / Activist Judges! / GOP Venality Open Thread: The Emil Bove Nomination

GOP Venality Open Thread: The Emil Bove Nomination

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Call … write … try to get through their aura of shamelessness. If Emil Bove gets a lifetime appointment, he'll be Trump's next SCOTUS nominee. And he's only 44.

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— Khashoggi's Ghost (@urocklive1.bsky.social) July 17, 2025 at 2:30 PM


 
Very much a developing story (3.2 thousand Bluesky posts and rising by the minute)…

Emil Bove would be a blank check for Donald Trump with a lifetime appointment. Having him on the bench would be a danger to our country.
He’s so bad that 900 DOJ alumni have urged the Senate to reject his nomination.
Senate Democrats just stood up for the rule of law.

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— Ken Martin (@kenmartin.bsky.social) July 17, 2025 at 12:18 PM

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Who among us hasn’t left a job and had 900 of our former colleagues sign a letter saying we’re unqualified, dishonest assholes?

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— Daniel Roberts???? (@drobertsimg.bsky.social) July 16, 2025 at 2:25 PM

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Senate Dems walk out of the GOP farce of rubberstamping the judicial nomination of fascist goon Emil Bove

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— Brad Johnson (@climatebrad.hillheat.com) July 17, 2025 at 12:23 PM

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Emil Bove judge confirmation moves step closer despite Democratic walkout.
Republicans refuse to call whistleblower who says Bove advocated ignoring court orders to Senate judiciary panel.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025…

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— Liz (or Lizzie) Kim ??? ?? (@liz.sheshed.rocks) July 17, 2025 at 1:23 PM


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Grassley is a bad man.

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— Clean Observer (@hammbear2024.bsky.social) July 17, 2025 at 11:22 AM

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Manu Raju: All Democrats on the Judiciary Committee walked out as they were objecting to Bove's nomination to a powerful appellate court. He was Trump's personal lawyer. He led the investigation into the January 6th prosecutors. Bove told his team to ignore court orders to halt deportation flights

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— FactPost (@factpostnews.bsky.social) July 17, 2025 at 11:52 AM

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Emil Bove is up for a lifetime appointment. This is not a time to rush through the process, violate the rules, and end debate. But that’s what Republicans on the Judiciary Committee just did. I was the next to speak and they barred us from debating. So we walked out.

— Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar.com) July 17, 2025 at 2:22 PM

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@whitehouse.senate.gov explains why Dems walked out — and why Bove's nomination may not have been advanced properly.

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— emptywheel (@emptywheel.bsky.social) July 17, 2025 at 2:44 PM

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And @booker.senate.gov on his efforts to get Bove to answer about his role in the Epstein coverup.

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— emptywheel (@emptywheel.bsky.social) July 17, 2025 at 2:49 PM

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“Cory Booker is asking if Bove was involved in the Epstein shit. Are Democrats actually learning how to fight?” — Adam Parkhomenko
Thank you, Adam. Another great read. And Dems need to finally take their gloves off or we’re done.

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— Stefan ?? (@stefank1117.bsky.social) July 17, 2025 at 12:20 PM

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BREAKING: Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously advance former Fox News host and election denier Jeanine Pirro’s nomination as U.S. Attorney for D.C. to the Senate floor after Democrats walked out in protest of Bove’s nomination.
From: @jimsaksa.com

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— Democracy Docket (@democracydocket.com) July 17, 2025 at 10:47 AM

Reader Interactions

114Comments

  1. 1.

    Bort

    Bove would not have been nominated if Democrats hadn’t torpedoed a Biden nominee because he was a Muslim.  TPM has the story.

    The Judiciary Committee advanced Mangi to a full Senate vote. But within months, reports began to emerge that Senate Democrats were telling the White House that there weren’t enough votes to confirm Mangi. Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) both said publicly that they wouldn’t vote to confirm Mangi; then-Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) announced he would only consider nominees with bipartisan support. The White House refused to withdraw Mangi’s nomination. By the end of 2024, Democrats and Mangi himself were calling the process “fundamentally broken.”

  4. 4.

    Steve LaBonne

    Good thing Tillis doesn’t have to toe the line any more- wait, what’s that you say?

  6. 6.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Bort: Come the absolute fuck on!  Three fucking Dems.  All of the Republicans.  But it’s the Democrats as a group who are to blame.  Prenez un grip, sport.

  7. 7.

    Baud

    @Bort:

    Not unless you’re a fascist sympathizer that wants to change the focus of what Republicans are doing.

  8. 8.

    VFX Lurker

    Two thoughts:

    • I blame Republican voters, non-voters, third-party voters, and Republican officials for this mess. I do not blame Dem voters or Dem officials.
    • I pied “Bort.”
  9. 9.

    JML

    @Omnes Omnibus: some people just can’t help it. The GOP does some crazy-ass fuckery, immediately someone has to complain about the Democrats. It’s insane.

  11. 11.

    Baud

    @JML:

    It’s conditioning. Our political teaches people to hate Dems, the way it taught people to hate black people or women. It’s all of a piece.

  12. 12.

    Bort

    @Omnes Omnibus:   Republicans aren’t having the same problems with Murkowski and Collins, so yes, this is on them.  That is what political parties are for.  For getting things done when you are in the majority.  Republicans get things done.  Democrats have performative outrage that won’t last a news cycle.

  13. 13.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @Baud: IDK a lot of this feels like a guilty conscious for not voting last November to me.

  14. 14.

    kindness

    The next Democratic President & Senate majority, I don’t want to hear any sniveling or whining about the quality of that president’s nominees.  Joe Manchin & Krysten Sinema need to go eat a Costco sized bag of salted dicks.

  15. 15.

    Formerly disgruntled in Oregon

    Trivia time: Which fake theme park in a classic episode of The Simpsons gave us the “Bort” joke?

    Is it Duff Gardens (home of the beer-quarium) or Itchy & Scratchy Land (“where nothing can possib-lie go wrong”)?

  16. 16.

    Belafon

    @Bort: Biden got a huge number of judges confirmed for the time he was in there, among other things. This is on Republicans and voters. If you want to blame Democrats, blame those that interfered with Biden’s reelection.

  17. 17.

    Harrison Wesley

    Wouldn’t Emil Bove and Rick Scott be perfect together in a 1920s horror movie?

  18. 18.

    Bort

    @Belafon: You would think that losing to a literal felon and rapist might be cause for a little self reflection instead of blaming non voters and the Green Party, but I guess not.   I voted for Harris and have voted for Democrats since Mondale.

  22. 22.

    BellaPea

    I watched the coverage of the Dems walking out of these hearings today, and Cory Booker stayed a few minutes to absolutely eviscerate Chuck Grassley. He said “I know you are better than this, Senator Grassley. What is Donald Trump saying to you to make you take these undemocratic actions?” Except for a few weak interruptions, no one said anything. Grassley and the rest of them mostly avoided eye contact and just sat there like the evil shits they are while dems matched out. Booker is rocking it these days.

  26. 26.

    XeckyGilchrist

    Can’t any one Senator scuttle this just by saying “nah” and holding up a blue piece of paper?

  30. 30.

    XeckyGilchrist

    @Omnes Omnibus: Murc’s law in action – only Democrats have agency, Republicans are a force of nature and are not responsible for their actions.

  32. 32.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @Harrison Wesley: Yes! The motion captured alligators tap dancing in a camp full mauled migrant corpses will be theater that no one can forget.

  34. 34.

    cmorenc

    Call … write … try to get through their aura of shamelessness. If Emil Bove gets a lifetime appointment, he’ll be Trump’s next SCOTUS nominee. And he’s only 44

    My bet for most likely next Trump SCOTUS nominee would have been Aileen Cannon, without whose blatant hackery, the purloined national security documents prosecution would likely have gone to trial with a conviction, months before the 2024 election.  That was the one criminal case that unambiguously involved criminal conduct outside Trump’s term of office – even if the original taking of possession was in the waning moments while he was still president on Jan 20, 2021, his wilful retention and concealment took place well past his time in office.

  35. 35.

    laura

    President bag-o-shite has found his Roy Cohn replacement and intends to Roy Cohn the fuck out of the DC circuit and Supreme Court if he can get rid of a sitting justice.

  36. 36.

    ExPatExDem

    @Bort: You would think that losing to a literal felon and rapist might be cause for a little self reflection instead of blaming non voters and the Green Party, but I guess not.   I voted for Harris and have voted for Democrats since Mondale.

    But Harris ran a flawless campaign. Haven’t you heard? LOL

  37. 37.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Bort: Because Murkowski and Collins are okay with a little light Fascism.  But then you don’t really care, do you?  You got your shot in and that’s what matters.

  39. 39.

    Harrison Wesley

    @Juju: I forget who it was who said Ted Cruz looked like all the Dick Tracy villains squeezed into one.

  44. 44.

    Bort

    @ExPatExDem: People seem to think that the fact that Republicans can be awful and Democrats can also be hapless clowns at the same time (talking elected officials not rank and file).   My wife reads Simon Rosenberg’s blog, which also has a group of people that seem utterly befuddled about how the American people failed them.

  46. 46.

    prostratedragon

    A siting U.S. senator is suggesting here that two Trump judges in Washington have been unjustifiably blocking a contempt proceeding into DOJ and Emil Bove until he can secure a lifetime appointment and become untouchable.

    Sounds very sinister when you put it that way, but he has a point.

    Whitehouse:

    When are the Trump judges stalling the Bove contempt investigation going to lift their hold? After Bove is confirmed? Is this a plan?

  47. 47.

    Jackie

    @Juju:

    I think Bove looks like a Dick Tracy villain. Also, he’s only 44?  He looks like he is late 50s early 60s, at least.

    Hate and evilness age people. Look at Miller for an example.

    eta Matt Gaetz looks like the Dick Tracy villain with the flat top.

  49. 49.

    trollhattan

    NY Times Pitchbot‬
    ‪@nytpitchbot.bsky.social‬ · 1h
    Trump‘s recent diagnosis raises new questions about Joe Biden‘s health

  53. 53.

    Bort

    @satby: Good god I’ll leave you to your circle jerk.  Congrats on all the Democratic successes.  Keep up the good work!

  55. 55.

    Bort

    @ExPatExDem: Absolutely.  And then proceeded to go after those coveted Never Trumpers with Darth Cheney’s daughter.   Anyways, I’ve been reading this since John was a Republican (or maybe recent ex-Republican) and people seem to really really hate criticism of the Democratic Party.

  56. 56.

    Harrison Wesley

    @Omnes Omnibus: No intent to slag a classic; but much as I like Bill Skarsgard I think Rick Scott is a more natural – or perhaps supernatural – fit for the remake.

  57. 57.

    scav

    @Bort: Have no fear princess, no matter where you go next those damn peas will be there waiting for you; your taste, sensitivities and requirements are sooo exquisite.  You will be failed again, constantly.

  58. 58.

    Bill Arnold

    @cmorenc:

    Aileen Cannon, without whose blatant hackery, the purloined national security documents prosecution would likely have gone to trial with a conviction, months before the 2024 election

    Yeah, IMO Mr. Trump should be in prison for those crimes, after trial, without exceptions to rules about e.g. social media access.

  60. 60.

    u

    Emil Bove looks about thirty years older than 44.  I guess it’s the inner evil showing.

  64. 64.

    Harrison Wesley

    @Omnes Omnibus: I’ve heard about it but haven’t seen it. I’m a Dafoe fan, so need to put it on the list. Original was great, but I have to confess I love silent movies and especially horror ones. ETA: as someone who raved about The Witch and The Lighthouse I was really disappointed with the Nosferatu remake.

  70. 70.

    Martin

    So Newsom’s threat to counter Texas’ gerrymander is an interesting story. CA has an indepdendent commission, and there are only 9 GOP in the state, so there’s not a lot of room to carve out additional seats. I don’t think this is a serious proposal, but I do think it’s a serious threat. We can’t get a lot of seats out of CA, but if all blue states that have independent commissions were to do this we could pretty easily get 5 seats. The CA congressional delegation seems to be on board. Other congressional dems seem to be on board – or at least open to the idea. This seems to be new. Even my fairly milquetoast new Rep is on board – which I did not expect to see (I knew him before he was a politician as well).

    Walking out of a committee doesn’t change the outcome, but it does make it much clearer to voters and to the media what those committee members feel the stakes are here. At some point it becomes normal and loses its effect, but Bove seems like a suitable hill to try this on.

    I think Democrats starting to take the position that we are also willing to tear this system down in order to stop them is a good turn. Whining about the unfairness of it isn’t working, and frankly isn’t something America tends to reward. Even liberals get satisfaction from seeing the good guy kick the bully’s ass.

  71. 71.

    Bort

    @Formerly disgruntled in Oregon: “We need more Bort license plates in the gift shop”.  You guys are seriously incredibly hostile to literally any criticism of the Democratic party.  Worse than reddit groups.  I’ve been reading this for a long long time but don’t comment much.  Anyways.  Bye.

  77. 77.

    prostratedragon

    Emptywheel on Grassley’s evil motivations:

    He is protecting a guy who unloaded dozens of innocent men into a concentration camp. Worse, he is breaking the rules to promote Emil Bove to a lifetime appointment to reward him for stranding innocent men in a concentration camp.

    Post includes a response from Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse.

  80. 80.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @BC in Illinois: the fact that they admitted Trump has a health issue and not in prefect health is interesting. Even the BBC noticed that.

  85. 85.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @Martin: but Bove seems like a suitable hill to try this on.

    He also seems like a good one to impeach when the Dems get a chance in the future. Unlovable asshole with no respect for the law.

  86. 86.

    Eolirin

    @Enhanced Voting Techniques: Impeachment would require 66 senators. That’s just not going to happen. Best we could hope for is ethics rules changes with teeth that force him to resign or face being arrested for violating them.

    But this is part of the problem we have with the electorate. Way the senate is set up, there are too many places where a Democrat cannot get elected to the Senate and there’s no mechanism to force Republicans to care about democratic norms or the country as a whole. Their voters don’t even care about them. Same reason we can’t get amendments passed or ratified anymore.

  87. 87.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @Bort:   Why do these a-holes always need to monolog their  life story like they are some Bond Villain? I mean it’s John who does the cat petting.

  88. 88.

    Eolirin

    @Bort: Yeah, we are. And if more people were too, maybe we wouldn’t be in this mess.

    Republicans don’t do this to their party. That’s why they win. Well, and they control the fucking media, which is a big help.

    It’s not like Democrats can win this game of doing things ‘right’. They’re always wrong. And the makeup of the electorate is always their fault.

  89. 89.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @Eolirin: Well, who knows, if Trump keeps it up 66 might be possible. Also, as sort of Martin’s point, sometimes it’s worth getting caught trying to do it.

  90. 90.

    Ramona

    I pied Bort and now my view of the comments section looks like a pastry shop display since retorts to Bort are obscured by pie too.

    Lovely range of pies!

  93. 93.

    prostratedragon

    @Enhanced Voting Techniques:  I’ve always felt we shouldn’t assume it’s impossible. I’m not usually into Constitutional fixes these days,  but one with some appeal would be the possibility of a national referendum after an impeachment is voted down in the Senate. Some degree of supermajority could be required there as well.

  100. 100.

    Geminid

    @Martin: I think you are right that Gavin Newsom’s proposal is not neccessarily a serious one. The California legislature would have to change a law establishing an independent redistricting commission that seems to work very well. I don’t think they will.

    The same would be the case for other states with independent commissions and Democratic legislatures, like Colorado, Michigan and Virginia. The reverse is true for Nebraska and Kansas at least.

    Personally, I wish Newsom had instead announced an all-out effort to beat some of California’s 9 (out of 52) Republican House members the old-fashioned way: not through gerrymandering but with strong opponents and effective district organizing. I know of three vulnerable Republicans in southern California Ken Calvert, Young Kim and David Valadeo– and for all I know there could be others up- north.

    My cynical side tells me that Newsom is doing this so as to position himself as a “fighting Democrat” for the 2028 primary contest. That may work for some Democrats but it won’t work for this one. And after making this proposal, if Gavin Newsom doesn’t invest time and energy into flipping Republican seats next year I will write him off.

  104. 104.

    Professor Bigfoot

    @Bort: Did you notice the majority of white people chose the 34 count felon?

    So you’re going to blame white supremacy on the Black woman.

    How fucking banal. 

  107. 107.

    gene108

    I wish people would stop limiting the talk of destruction to American democracy as a Trump initiative. It’s the entire Republican Party and every right-wing group in existence that wants to create a one party white male Christian ethnostate.

    Trump wouldn’t have survived this long without so much support from them.

  108. 108.

    Bort

    @Professor Bigfoot: Harris ran the perfect campaign and the Democratic Party is without fault.  Also, the majority of white people are literal white supremacists for not recognizing their faultlessness.   They will keep losing if that is their takeaway.

    You know this all started with me just pointing out those fuckwits had a full year to fill this spot and couldn’t get it done.   Now we have a lizard brained Disney villain.

    Anywho enjoy your night and your pies or whatever.

  109. 109.

    Martin

    @Geminid: In truth they don’t really need to. All they need to do is change them close enough to the election that the courts can’t do anything about it. This is a trick the GOP has pulled about infinity times now.

    I don’t think this is intended to discount any effort to win the seats, I think this is intended to get the GOP to think twice about doing it in Texas. If the threat works and the GOP backs down, then nothing changes. Democrats need to learn how to be willing to shoot the hostage. This is going to be hard for a lot of Democratic voters. It’s going to involve hurting some people we want to protect, it’s going to involve putting aside a lot of things we feel are good for democracy, but keeping the GOP in power is the worst thing for democracy and we need to keep that in mind.

    I think Newsom is stepping into the leadership role for the party. I have mixed feelings about a lot of this stuff, but it’s already past time for action.

  112. 112.

    Matt

    Sure this is bad, but the important thing is that nobody made Mark Cuban uncomfortable by suggesting he should pay more taxes and the hippies were really shown what-for

  113. 113.

    Sherparick

    Bove is being appointed to the 3rd Circuit which includes New York State, so I am sure Trump’s expectation here is that he will overturn the state conviction or otherwise look after the Trump and family’s interests in litigation arising in New York either initiated by Trump or against Trump.  As far as him going on the Supreme Court, I actually think Aileen Cannon has the edge on him here as she was far better than any defense lawyer in keeping Trump out of jail in the run up to 2024.

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