U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD) criticized the Trump administration on MSNBC this week by referring to the federal government as “a gangster state.” Raskin said: “This is not basically a legitimate government that is sometimes doing corrupt things. This is an essentially corrupt enterprise. It’s like watching The Sopranos. Every day, they get up and they try to figure out how to plunder and pillage the people.”
(Political satirist Maxwell Black responded to Raskin’s comments on X: “In fairness the Sopranos had a basic moral code!”)
Raskin: This is a gangster state. This is not basically a legitimate government that is sometimes doing corrupt things. This is an essentially corrupt enterprise. It's like watching The Sopranos. Every day, they get up and they try to figure out how to plunder and pillage the… pic.twitter.com/jhnIHDXgYr
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 31, 2025
To support his assertion, Raskin noted that some of his Republican colleagues have put up “Wanted” posters of the judges who are blocking Trump’s executive orders — on immigration and tariffs — outside of their offices in the Cannon House Office Building, a federal building.
Below is Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) showing off his “Wanted” judges poster outside of his congressional office.
About my articles of impeachment “wanted” poster for corrupt, activist judges… pic.twitter.com/MOBOGmRoqx
— Rep. Andy Ogles (@RepOgles) April 3, 2025
To emphasize the rising level of the disrespect for the judiciary being shown by members of Congress, Raskin pointed out that the Republican bloodlust for dissenters transcended even party affiliation to include anyone who found aspects of MAGA’s power grab to have exceeded its legal authority.
As a result, Raskin noted that that among the “Wanted” judges were those appointed by Republican presidents including U.S. District Court Chief Judge James Boasberg (who ordered the Trump administration to stop deporting migrants to the El Salvador mega prison CECOT). Boasberg was appointed by President George W. Bush.
Raskin has asked his Republican colleagues to remove the posters from the federal building and to “temper their discourse when it comes to judges who are just doing their jobs” — and to stop the call for impeachment of judges.
BREAKING: In an unbelievable moment, Rep. Jamie Raskin had to call upon his Republican colleagues in the House to remove "Wanted" posters with the faces of federal judges displayed in House office buildings.
— Really American 🇺🇸 (@ReallyAmerican1) March 31, 2025
This is not the wild west. pic.twitter.com/lTC4wZhE2a
Note: In March, Republican Congressman Brandon Gill of Texas (with Reps. Crane, Collins, Carter, Moore and Clyde) submitted a resolution to impeach Judge Boasberg “for high crimes and misdemeanors” after Boasberg accused the Trump administration “of rushing deportees out of the country under the Alien Enemies Act last month before they could challenge their removal in court, and then willfully disregarding his order that planes already in the air should return to the United States.”
