SALISBURY — Rowan County’s congressmen this week joined a group of Republicans calling for a Supreme Court justice to recuse herself from hearing a lawsuit about President Donald Trump’s travel ban.

The letter, signed by more than 50 Republican lawmakers, requests that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg recuse herself from the Trump v. International Refugee Assistant Project case, which focuses on a revised version of the travel ban. Reps. Ted Budd, R-13, and Richard Hudson, R-8, are among the 50 lawmakers.

The case involves an executive order signed by Trump in March. It limited travel to the U.S. from some Muslim-majority countries and by refugees. The executive order is a revised version of a previous travel ban that was rejected by courts.

In the letter, the lawmakers use past comments by Ginsburg as a reason why her “impartiality might reasonably be questioned” and that she has “a personal bias or prejudice concerning a party.”

“You are bound by law to recuse yourself from participation in this case,” the letter states. “There is no doubt that your impartiality can be reasonably questioned; indeed, it would be unreasonable not to question your impartiality.”

In an interview published in The New York Times last year, Ginsburg said she couldn’t imagine what the country would be like with Trump as president. Later, she called Trump a “faker,” said he has no consistency and added that Trump says whatever comes into his head.

Asked about his participation in signing the letter, Budd said the government’s system of checks and balances depends on an impartial judicial branch.

“Justice Ginsburg’s comments communicating her distaste for the president show that she is far from that ideal,” Budd said in an emailed statement. “She should recuse herself from ruling on the president’s travel ban in order to better uphold the notion that the Supreme Court is an impartial interpreter of the laws.”

Hudson said Ginsburg disregarded the “clear limits of her office.”

“Justice Ginsburg’s repeated biased comments have raised serious doubts that she can be impartial,” Hudson said in an emailed statement.

In addition to Hudson and Budd, other North Carolinians signing the letter included Reps. Mark Meadows, R-11, and Mark Walker, R-6.

Budd’s district includes the city of Salisbury and much of western and northern Rowan County. Hudson’s district mostly includes southern and eastern Rowan County. Hudson’s district also includes parts of western Rowan County south of Mooresville Road.

Contact reporter Josh Bergeron at 704-797-4246.