[ad_1]
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump is executing the same scenario by selecting a new Supreme Court nominee who last year confirmed Judge Neil Gorsuch, following a methodical course in the ############################################################################### 39, hope to avoid the disorder that so often invades his whites. As Trump seeks to reorient the nation's high court by replacing the retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy, he left little room for improvisation – in part because he delegated and subcontracted a As a model, the President stated that his next candidate would be selected from a short list of 25 candidates, most of whom were already registered in public and internal control.
-dozen or if the finalists start, including private sit-downs with Trump starting this weekend at his Bedminster, New Jersey golf course, as well as sessions with Donald McGahn, home counselor Blanche, and official FBI background checks. An announcement date has also been set: July 9, the first Monday after the holidays of July 4 and the day before Trump will travel to Brussels for a European trip of one week.
With only four months until the mid-term elections. The gains in the Senate would jeopardize a Trump candidate, the White House is working with Senate Republican leaders to set a quick deadline for a candidate 's vote by October so that they can take advantage from the slim majority of the GOP to the House. Trump and White House leaders are already personally lobbying key senators, working to plow the ground in anticipation of what should be a fierce battle for nominations
Trump says he understands the stakes
"Out of war and peace, of course, the most important decision you make is the selection of a Supreme Court judge," the president told reporters on Friday.
In most other areas, Trump quickly rejects standards and resists the established order. Where previous presidents have zigued, the 45th almost always wants to zag. But not when it comes to the Supreme Court. Up to now, at least, Trump is leading his advisers, two of whom have deep roots in the Washington Conservative network: McGahn and Leonard Leo, who is on leave from the Federalist Society to give informal advice on Judicial Appointments
Trump has developed strategies with McGahn, Leo and others to fill vacancies in federal courts in order to permanently relocate the judiciary to the right. The pace has been historic – and for the Conservatives the result has been an undeniable success.
"This president had a vision," Leo said. "He did something entrepreneurial and different.He had a very clear sense of what he wanted, he spent a lot of time asking questions about [the late] Justice [Antonin] Scalia and Justice [Clarence] Thomas and other members of the court, and he got to know Judge Kennedy bit.I was really impressed by the way he directed this process.He is in control of that- "
Trump told the councilors that he is looking for three general attributes in lieu of Kennedy. First, a councilor said, Trump insists on an "extraordinarily well qualified" candidate with a superlative resume. The president is particularly attracted to contenders with brand-name diplomas, such as Ivy League universities like Harvard or Yale. He also wants to see a solid academic writing portfolio, although this acknowledged Trump advisor does not care to read it; he just wants to know that he exists.
Second, Trump said that it is essential that his candidate is not "weak," that is, someone with an independent judgment and the courage of "fashion political and social issues of the time ".
Third, Trump privately says that he wants a candidate who "will interpret the Constitution as the editors wanted," according to the counselor, who spoke on condition of anonymity to recount a private discussion with the President
And as he does with all job seekers, Trump will also look for personal chemistry, central casting looks and storytelling stories. Last year, Trump was attracted to Thomas Hardiman, Gorsuch's finalist at the court contest, in part because of his working-class roots. Hardiman was the first of his family to graduate from college, pay his education by driving a taxi, and he is now a judge at the Federal Court of Appeal in Pittsburgh, a Pennsylvania area where Trump has a strong political influence
. thought to be a competitor this time too. It is said that Trump's shortlist likely includes US judge Amy Coney Barrett of Indiana; US circuit judge Brett Kavanaugh of Maryland, a former Kennedy law clerk; Michigan circuit judge Raymond Kethledge of Michigan, finalist last year; On Wednesday night in Fargo, North Dakota, just hours after Kennedy's departure, Trump told a large crowd at a rally that he was "honored" to have L & # 39; s It is an opportunity to choose one's replacement and to talk about one's criteria.
"We have a choice to make," Trump said "We have to pick a big one, we have to pick one that will be there for 40, 45. We need intellect. So much to do.You know, there are so many elements that go into the makeup of a grand judge of the Supreme Court.You have to hit every one of them. "[19659002AlthoughheandhiscoworkerswerehopingKennedycouldretirethissummerattheendofthecourt'stenure-andfoundwaystosubtlyencouragehimtodoso-the81-year-oldannouncementofjusticehasWasasurprise
On the morning of his announcement, Trump was on the phone with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and asked if he believed Kennedy would step down. McConnell responded that he would believe it when he would see it – and that he had heard that Kennedy would not retire for years, according to two people familiar with the conversation.
A few hours later, Kennedy was at the White House to notify him personally. Trump of his decision. The President and McConnell have again spoken, according to two officials informed of the call, and they stressed the importance of the vacancy. Kennedy was the pivotal critical vote, and replacing him with a convinced conservative would solidify the majority of the right to the high court.
Josh Holmes, a close adviser to McConnell, said that it is "almost impossible to exaggerate the size of an agreement [the Kennedy vacancy is] for the conservatives as a whole, but obviously very specifically for the Trump administration, I think that if you are right, there is absolutely nothing to criticize about the way in which this administration handled judicial appointments. "
Carrie Severino, Attorney Chief and Policy Director of the conservative Judicial Crisis Network, said: "This is really a second opportunity for him to fulfill one of his most important election promises."
Democratic leaders say that the Senate should wait after the mid-term elections for the newly elected Senate to consider the candidate in early 2019. They argue that a delay would be in keeping with the precedent set by McConnell in 2016, when he Rejected the examination of Merrick Garland, then President Obama's candidate for the seat of Scalia, until the presidential election. Trump won, of course, and quickly named Gorsuch, who was confirmed in April 2017 by a vote of 54 to 45.
The Republican plan is that Trump's candidate spends the second half of July and early August at visit key Senators on Capitol Hill and prepare for confirmation hearings, which could begin in late August, with committee votes in early September and a vote later in the month, to allow the judge to take an oath October 1st. There is a belief that this should not drag on, "said Marc Short, Director of Legislative Affairs for the White House. "The process on our part should proceed fairly quickly because the President has had time to look at the same list since he 's broadcast it during the campaign. an opportunity to learn about many of these candidates in the last battle of nomination. "
The White House's outreach campaign to other senators began almost immediately, Thursday night when Trump returned from North Dakota and Wisconsin , half a dozen senators who would influence the fate of Trump's candidate met Trump
Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, who will oversee Confirmation Hearings – and Sens. Heidi Heitkamp, ND, Joe Manchin III, W.Va., and Joe Donnelly, Ind., – a trio of Democrats who supported Gorsuch – met Trump one-on-one The President also met, together, Susan Collins, Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, Alaska, two r publicans who support the rights of the & # 39; abortion.
In Manchin's private session with Trump, the president asked the senator for a contribution on the type of justice he should appoint. Manchin recommended a centrist jurist who would respect the rule of law and the Constitution, the senator recalled.
"The discussion did not unfold," will you support those I've put in place? Manchin Hoppy Kercheval, radio host in Virginia, said, "He knows me better than that."
White House officials also called at least a dozen senators who will play key roles in the battle of confirmation – a list that includes members of the Judiciary Committee, persuaded Senators and Republicans, according to a senior White House official.In addition, officials discussed the vacancy with Senator Mike Lee, R-Utah, the only legislator on the list of Trump's 25 potential choices, according to a spokesman for the senator.
Missing from the list of appeals so far, according to aides: the minority leader in the Senate, Charles Schumer, DN.Y., and Senator Dianne Feinstein, the highest democrat of the Judiciary Committee.
"Everyone has recently had exercise, so muscle memory on the confirmation process is very strong . Now, and especially on the Hill, Chief McConnell shows that he knows how to do it and that he is already ready to start, "said Jason Miller, a former Trump campaign advisor
Trump , a former reality TV producer. and star, likes to create suspense around his presidential decisions and watch the media cover the drama. On board the Air Force One on Friday, he told reporters that he had seen Lee complaining about his appointment to the Supreme Court.
"I saw him on TV last night, where he said that he would like the job". "You know, they do not usually say that."
Trump was quick to compliment Lee: "Very good guy, very talented, very smart." But if he unveiled Utahan as his candidate on July 9, the president kept everyone guessing.
Source link