One of the most important jobs any president has is nominating justices to the Supreme Court.
Following conservative, originalist Justice Antonin Scalia’s death in February of 2016, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the risky political decision to not hold hearings, or vote on President Obama’s nominee Judge Merrick Garland, arguing that the seat should not be filled until after the presidential election.
Well, Senator McConnell’s bet paid off, and now President Trump is tasked with filling Justice Scalia’s seat.
We have just learned that, while the liberal media is lying about Trump’s “Muslim ban,” – which is actually just a temporary limit on refugees from terror-prone nations (countries that were chosen by Obama) – the President is forging ahead with the business of the people.
He will formally make his Supreme Court nomination on Tuesday, ahead of schedule:
I have made my decision on who I will nominate for The United States Supreme Court. It will be announced live on Tuesday at 8:00 P.M. (W.H.)
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 30, 2017
According to Fox News, “The president was said on Friday to have narrowed his shortlist down to two federal appeals court judges, Neil Gorsuch of the Tenth Circuit and Thomas Hardiman of the Third Circuit.” It is believed that Judge Gorsuch is the favorite to be President Trump’s nominee.
Many conservatives had hoped that President Trump would consider a judge with a well-established conservative judicial record, such as William Prior, a judge who sits on the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Alabama.
While Gorsuch and Hardiman were among the list of 20 individuals he was considering for the court in September of 2016, Prior was seen as a more reliable conservative justice. However, he has recently been criticized by conservative groups for ruling in a 2011 case, Glenn v. Brumby, that dealt with transgender individuals in the workplace.
As The Political Insider reported, sources close to Trump’s sister, Judge Maryanne Trump Barry, has apparently made it known that she thinks her brother should nominate Judge Hardiman to the Supreme Court.
Maryanne Trump Barry pushing fellow Third Circuit judge Thomas Hardiman for Supreme Court via @ShaneGoldmacher – https://t.co/f3ZzRRyzfA
— Eliana Johnson (@elianayjohnson) January 26, 2017
Of the names being floated for the Supreme Court, who do you think President Trump should nominate? Would you prefer Trump nominate a verifiable conservative judge, even if it means his confirmation might be challenging, or should the president nominate a safer pick, that will be easily confirmed?
Share your thoughts below!