The Quickest Route to a Plum Judicial Appointment

Emil Bove has demonstrated that total sycophancy to the president can be a fantastic career move.

By Quinta Jurecic


Al Drago / Bloomberg / Getty

JULY 30, 2025, 6 AM ET

Emil Bove has had a busy six months at the Department of Justice. Appointed to a leadership role by President Donald Trump almost immediately after the inauguration, Bove quickly set about establishing himself as a feared enforcer of presidential will. He personally fired attorneys involved in prosecuting January 6 rioters, pushed other prosecutors to resign rather than go along with what they considered to be unethical orders, and accused FBI officials of “insubordination” for refusing to hand over a list of FBI agents to fire for political reasons. According to a whistleblower, Bove played a key role in encouraging the administration to defy court orders, suggesting that the department should consider telling judges, “Fuck you.”

{snip}