Supreme Court Nominee Neil Gorsuch Calls Trump’s Comments on Judiciary ‘Demoralizing’
Comment made in closed-door meeting with Sen. Richard Blumenthal, confirmed by confirmation teamBy Beth Reinhard and
Rebecca Ballhaus
Updated Feb. 9, 2017 7:38 a.m. ET
WASHINGTON—Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch on Wednesday called President Donald Trump’s recent attacks on the judiciary “demoralizing and disheartening” in a closed-door meeting with Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.), the senator said.
The remarks were confirmed by the team charged with ensuring the judge’s confirmation.
Mr. Blumenthal, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the former Connecticut attorney general, said he asked Judge Gorsuch to respond to Mr. Trump’s recent outbursts after a federal judge temporarily blocked his executive order to suspend entry of travelers from seven majority-Muslim countries out of national-security concerns.
“He said [the attacks] were demoralizing and disheartening—those were his words,” Sen. Blumenthal told reporters in a conference call. “I believe he has an obligation to make his views known more explicitly and unequivocally to the American people.”
On Thursday morning, Mr. Trump attacked Mr. Blumenthal’s credibility, referring to an episode that briefly threatened to upend his 2010 Senate race.
“Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who never fought in Vietnam when he said for years he had (major lie), now misrepresents what Judge Gorsuch told him?” he wrote.
In his 2010 race, Mr. Blumenthal was roundly criticized for indicating in public appearances that he had served in Vietnam when he was a Marine Corps reservist who stayed in the U.S. during the war.
Mr. Blumenthal’s Senate office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
The comments came ahead of Wednesday night’s confirmation of Mr. Trump’s choice for attorney general, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R., Ala.). Mr. Sessions will be in charge of defending the president’s executive orders and other administration actions.
Democrats are seeking to use the confirmation process of Judge Gorsuch, currently a member of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, to highlight Mr. Trump’s attacks and affirm the independence of the judiciary.
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