Former President Donald Trump is considering a lifetime appointment on the nation’s second-highest court for Emil Bove, who used to work for him as his personal lawyer. There is talk of President Biden considering Bove for a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, which covers New Jersey and is considered very important.
Should the decision go through, Trump’s close ally will be appointed to a judge’s seat, and this is likely to be closely examined since Bove has close ties to Trump and has faced criticism in the past year.
From Trump’s Personal Attorney to Deputy AG
Bove has developed an impressive list of legal accomplishments as time has passed. While in the Southern District of New York’s U.S. Attorney’s Office, he was well known for his aggressive management of criminal cases. After leaving the public sector, he joined Trump’s legal team after he left the White House.
As soon as Trump became president again in January 2025, Bove was handed the interim job of Deputy Attorney General. During his short time as Deputy AG before Todd Blanche was appointed, Bove took bold actions that conform tightly to President Trump’s agenda.
Controversial Moves Inside the DOJ
Starting on his first day, Bove did not hesitate to help promote the Trump administration’s most troublesome actions. Just days after the inauguration, Bove warned that federal officials would bring charges against those who did not cooperate with federal immigration authorities—a decisive step in Trump’s continued push against sanctuary cities.
After that, Bove spent his attention on internal reform at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and supervised the firing of eight senior officials.Lieberman also requested access to private information about thousands of FBI staff who investigated the January 6 events at the Capitol, disturbing civil rights groups and people who have spent years at the Justice Department.
The time when Bove was most challenged came when he took it upon himself to ask that corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, be dropped.
Leading the Weaponization Working Group
In addition to his other duties, Bove is heading up the Weaponization Working Group, a new Justice Department unit investigating charges against some prosecutors and FBI agents for suspicious bias. Trump’s interest in a new way of handling federal investigations is clear, according to reports of the group’s high-profile probes.
It has not escaped notice in Washington that Bove enjoys being close to power. He can often be seen at the White House, planning with the top advisers and often with Stephen Miller in charge of immigration and the Department of Justice affairs.
A Lifetime Appointment in the Balance
If Bove is appointed and confirmed by the Senate, he would serve as a lifelong member of the federal appeals court—a place where many judges move on to join the U.S. Supreme Court. There is likely to be a fierce confirmation debate, especially because Democrats and legal watchdogs may bring up Bove’s political connections, history of prosecutions, and accusations that he used the Justice Department for partisan purposes.
