History is repeating itself in the worst way for Donald Trump. Judge James Boasberg, who has handed down unfavorable rulings to the former president before, has been assigned to the explosive “Signalgate” case—and Trump is crying foul.
The controversy began when White House officials discussing military action against Yemen’s Houthi rebels accidentally added a journalist to their Signal group. Now, American Oversight is suing, arguing key officials—from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to Marco Rubio in his role as Acting Archivist—violated records laws by not preserving the chats.
But for Trump, the real scandal is Boasberg’s involvement. “A Republican can’t win in his court—especially a TRUMP Republican,” he fumed on Truth Social, calling the random assignment statistically suspicious. Trump dredged up past grievances, including Boasberg’s immigration rulings, and alleged the judge’s family ties create conflicts of interest.
Legal analysts note such random assignments are standard, but Trump sees a pattern: “D.C.’s courts are as corrupt as New York’s,” he declared, renewing his claims of systemic bias. The administration maintains no secrets were spilled, but the lawsuit pushes to recover deleted messages—a move Trump frames as political persecution.
With Trump already testing the judiciary’s patience in multiple cases, this latest outburst signals more confrontations ahead. Whether about records or rulings, one theme remains constant: Trump’s belief that the system is, as he puts it, “rigged to the core.”
