WH Spokesman Ties Uproar Over Trump’s Judge Attacks To SCOTUS Blockade

Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest on Monday linked the uproar over presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump’s comments about a federal judge to Senate Republicans’ blockade against President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee.

Asked during his daily media briefing whether Trump’s attacks on U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel were racist, Earnest pivoted to talking about Senate GOPers’ refusal to confirm judicial appointments.

“For Republicans in the Senate who say they have concerns about the Republican presidential nominee’s views as it relates to judges, to also say that they are not going to confirm any judges to preserve the ability of the Republican presidential nominee to potentially make those appointments,” Earnest said.

Trump had said that Curiel, who is presiding over cases against Trump University in California, has a conflict of interest because of his “Mexican heritage.” The businessman has railed against Hispanics since he launched his campaign, infamously stated that some undocumented immigrants were “rapists” and “criminals.”

Earnest also said in the briefing that he wasn’t “surprised” Republicans chose to overlook Trump’s divisive statements, according to Politico, citing House Majority Whip Steve Scalise’s (R-LA) continued support from his colleagues. Scalise once reportedly referred to himself as a “David Duke without the baggage” while campaigning for Congress.

Latest Livewire
32
Show Comments

Notable Replies

  1. GOP: “We love judges so much, we just can’t bear to make any more of them. It would spread our love too thin.”

  2. Nice pivot, Josh.

  3. “For Republicans in the Senate who say they have concerns about the Republican presidential nominee’s views as it relates to judges, to also say that they are not going to confirm any judges to preserve the ability of the Republican presidential nominee to potentially make those appointments,” Earnest said."

    Did he complete the goddamn sentence/thought or what?

  4. I don’t think the pivot expressed the complete sentiment he was aiming for.

    “For Republicans in the Senate who say they have concerns about the Republican presidential nominee’s views as it relates to judges, to also say that they are not going to confirm any judges to preserve the ability of the Republican presidential nominee to potentially make those appointments,” Earnest said.

    It’s lacking the part where he should have said “makes a mockery out of the faux outrage the Rs are expressing at being expected to work during the president’s last 300 days.”

    @sniffit I didn’t hear it either. It’s just hanging out there.

  5. Yep. Smooth transition and “The Importance of Being Josh Earnest”. Can’t miss the serious implications Drumpf would pose if put in charge of selecting the next Supreme Court Justice. In fact, its almost downright unthinkable.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

26 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for david_e_brown Avatar for pbw Avatar for littlegirlblue Avatar for sysprog Avatar for humpback Avatar for losamigos Avatar for sandyh Avatar for mantan Avatar for sniffit Avatar for chuck_voellinger Avatar for frankly_my_dear Avatar for kathotdog Avatar for texasdem Avatar for docb Avatar for stradivarius50t3 Avatar for serendipitoussomnambulist Avatar for exspectator Avatar for ronbyers Avatar for mrf Avatar for beattycat Avatar for jonney_5 Avatar for pcbill Avatar for cub_calloway

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: