A judge handpicked by President Donald Trump, who insists he’s nobody’s “henchman,” was busted with a peculiar phone lock screen that freaked out his colleagues.
Emil Bove, one of Trump’s criminal lawyers until his client appointed him acting deputy attorney general, has since ascended to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Before that, Trump controversially nominated Bove to the bench in June 2025. “I’m not anybody’s henchman,” the 45-year-old insisted during his confirmation hearing.
However, that might be harder to defend given fresh revelations about the lock screen he chose for his cellphone. The New York Times reported that a colleague was surprised to catch a glimpse of Bove’s iPhone, featuring a photo of Trump after the attempt on his life during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024.
The colleague told the Times that the photo was one where a bloodied Trump defiantly raises his fist after the incident. The most famous of those shots, by Evan Vucci for the Associated Press, immediately became a viral sensation, and Trump has even added a painted version to the White House walls.
Even still, it could be considered peculiar for a judge, who is supposed to be impartial, to openly display the image. Indeed, it caused “discomfort” on the “close-knit” 14-seat appeals court for Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, according to the Times.
Appeals court colleagues who have worked closely with Bove stopped short of saying that his history as Trump’s attack dog has gotten in the way of his work.
However, he did draw criticism when he was busted at one of Trump’s campaign-style rallies in December. That led to an ethics complaint, but Bove insisted he attended merely “as a citizen coming to watch the president speak.”
He is one of three of the president’s former personal lawyers nominated for the appellate bench.
Jeremy Fogel, a retired federal judge who works with judges on ethical quandaries, said Bove’s iPhone image sparks more concerns when considered in conjunction with the appearance at the rally.
He said it raised questions over how Bove balances his private political concerns with his work.
