Trump nominates one of his former personal attorneys for prestigious federal appeals court seat
Former president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and attorney Emil Bove sit in the courtroom during his criminal trial at Manhattan Criminal Court in April 2024 in New York City.
By Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN
(CNN) — President Donald Trump has nominated Emil Bove, one of his former personal attorneys and now a top Justice Department official, to be a federal appeals court judge.
Trump announced Bove’s nomination to the US Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit in a social media post Wednesday, saying that Bove is “SMART, TOUGH, and respected by everyone.”
“He will end the Weaponization of Justice, restore the Rule of Law, and do anything else that is necessary to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,” Trump wrote. “Emil Bove will never let you down!”
Bove’s nomination sets the stage for a likely contentious confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill, in which Democrats are expected to challenge him to explain some of the more controversial moves by Trump’s Justice Department – some of which resulted in mass resignations and firings within the department. Those efforts were largely executed by Bove himself.
In his first several weeks at the DOJ, Bove quickly became one of the most powerful and influential political appointees in the Trump administration. Within days, he issued a memo that threatened to prosecute state and local officials who resist the administration’s federal immigration crackdown.
Bove was the face of the administration’s campaign to drop corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams – pressuring top prosecutors to sign off on its dismissal and catalyzing a wave of resignations from prosecutors in New York and DC.
He also ordered the firing of eight senior FBI officials and demanded information on thousands of FBI employees who worked on investigations related to the US Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.
Now, as the top deputy to Todd Blanche, the DOJ’s number two official, Bove’s work has been focused mainly on enforcing Trump’s immigration agenda.
In a social media post after his nomination was announced, Blanche said that he “couldn’t be prouder of my friend Emil Bove.”
“I’ve known Emil for years and his dedication to this country, along with his integrity and brilliant legal mind will make him an excellent judge,” Blanche, who also worked as one of Trump’s personal attorneys, wrote. “Well earned, my friend!”
Bove is also helping to lead a new Justice Department effort called the Weaponization Working Group, which is tasked with examining current and former prosecutors and FBI employees.
Bove is one of several former Trump personal lawyers nominated to high-profile legal jobs within the administration, including John Sauer, the solicitor general, and Blanche, the deputy attorney general. Trump has also installed other allies to top spots within the department, including FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi.
During his time as Trump’s attorney, Bove assisted in defending Trump in his federal criminal cases, both of which were dismissed after Trump won reelection, and in the New York hush-money case, where Trump was found guilty of all 34 charges he faced.
When reached by CNN, Bove said he had no comment on the nomination.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
CNN’s Paula Reid contributed to this report.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
