He surrendered the one protection federal judges are never expected to give up: life tenure. By walking away, Mark Wolf turned what was supposed to be quiet, apolitical service into a public alarm. His letter didn’t just criticize a presidency; it exposed a culture of fear inside the courts, where speaking plainly about power can feel more dangerous than any ruling. To him, Trump’s approach to justice isn’t abstract — it’s a daily corrosion of norms that once held even the most powerful in check.

The White House dismissed him as just another enemy, another elite who “never liked” the president. But beyond the insults are real people whose groceries, housing, and medical care rise and fall on decisions made in rooms they’ll never see. Wolf’s resignation doesn’t resolve that crisis. It marks the moment a judge decided silence was worse than the fight.