Retired chief justice joins resistance to Trump’s Justice Department

Jan. 19, 2026 | Daryl Huff | Hawaii News Now

Former Hawaii chief justice Mark Recktenwald is helping bring together about 40 other former chief justices to defend their colleagues and judicial institutions from President Trump’s criticism of judges and control of the Justice Department.

The effort comes as Martin Luther King Jr. Day raises awareness of civil rights, while critics say the Trump Justice Department is ignoring that mission. Local Republicans say the concerns are overblown. . . .