In November 2025, Senior U.S. District Judge Mark L. Wolf publicly resigned from the federal bench, arguing that President Trump poses an “existential threat to democracy.” Writing in The Atlantic, Wolf accused the administration of weaponizing the justice system—pursuing political adversaries while protecting allies, donors, and friends from legal scrutiny.
Wolf, a Reagan appointee with more than fifty years in public service, said he stepped down so he could speak freely and on behalf of judges who feel constrained by judicial ethics rules. He warned that Trump’s attempts to expand presidential power, combined with aggressive attacks on lower-court judges and increasing reliance on the Supreme Court’s shadow docket, undermine the rule of law.
The former judge also criticized the administration’s campaign to investigate and prosecute Trump’s political opponents, comparing the behavior to Nixon—but “routine and overt” rather than covert. Wolf noted recent indictments of former F.B.I. Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James as examples of the president’s retaliatory use of state power.
Trump allies dismissed Wolf’s concerns as partisan, urging other judges critical of the administration to resign as well.
Wolf’s resignation adds to a growing chorus within the judiciary worried about the erosion of institutional independence and the politicization of legal processes—a central warning for democracies confronting executive overreach.