Fury spurred by Trump's call for 'charges' against judge who ruled against him

Donald Trump escalated his attacks on the federal judiciary this week, calling for a judge who ruled against him to face criminal charges and attacking the judge's wife in the process, prompting condemnation from legal observers and journalists who called the posts the work of "a lunatic."

Trump targeted Judge Cooper after a ruling that ordered Trump's name removed from the Kennedy Center, lashing out in a lengthy Truth Social rant that also included a declaration that he now has "no interest" in renovating the historic venue.

"Trump eventually says Judge Cooper 'should be brought up on charges,'" legal journalist Roger Parloff wrote on X, adding a note of dark humor: "Hopefully Todd Blanche won't scroll down far enough to see it." Parloff noted Trump's stated justification was that the judge's wife had worked as an attorney on cases Trump disapproves of.

Independent journalist Aaron Rupar was less measured. "Folks, these are the rantings of a crazy person," he wrote. "Note how Trump resorts to attacking the wives of men he doesn't like. The president is a lunatic."

Craig Caplan, a producer for C-SPAN, added important context about the judge Trump was targeting: Cooper was nominated by President Obama and confirmed unanimously by the Senate 100-0 in 2014.

Trump's attacks on judges and their families have drawn repeated criticism from legal experts who argue the conduct is designed to intimidate the judiciary and undermine public confidence in the courts. The American Bar Association and several judicial watchdog organizations have previously flagged Trump's attacks on judges as threats to judicial independence.

The Kennedy Center dispute is one of several ongoing legal battles in which Trump has publicly attacked presiding judges after unfavorable rulings.