House Speaker Mike Johnson has ignited a constitutional firestorm after stating that Congress has the power to eliminate entire federal courts, a remark widely interpreted as a warning to judges issuing rulings that hinder the Trump administration’s agenda.

Speaking at a press briefing on Capitol Hill, Johnson said, “We do have authority over the federal courts… We can eliminate an entire district court.” The comments came in response to a series of federal injunctions that blocked executive actions from the Trump White House, including key immigration and surveillance policies.

Legal scholars and political analysts have condemned the statement as a threat to judicial independence. “This crosses a bright red line,” said constitutional law professor Marissa Vale. “The separation of powers only works if the judiciary can operate without fear of legislative retaliation.”

Though Johnson later walked back his remarks, calling them “descriptive, not prescriptive,” the damage was done. The White House has not disavowed the statement. Meanwhile, members of the House Judiciary Committee, led by Rep. Jim Jordan, are reportedly drafting legislation to strip certain courts of their jurisdiction and curb their power to issue nationwide injunctions.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called the comments “outrageous and dangerous,” warning that any attempt to dismantle courts over political disagreement would be “an open attack on the rule of law.”

The comments come amid a broader campaign by Trump-aligned lawmakers to discredit and neutralize the federal judiciary. In recent months, Republican leaders have floated impeaching judges they accuse of political bias, particularly those who have ruled against Trump’s deportation orders, surveillance expansions, and asset seizures.

Chief Justice John Roberts, without naming names, issued a rare public statement warning that “judicial independence must never be sacrificed to the passions of political conflict.”

The Crustian Daily will continue to follow this story and the broader implications for the future of American constitutional governance.