Hawaii AG Slams Sessions’ Comment On Judge On ‘Island In The Pacific’

FILE - In this Feb. 3, 2017, file photo, Hawaii Attorney General Doug Chin speaks at a news conference in Honolulu announcing the state of Hawaii has filed a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump's travel ban. Hawaii is planning to challenge Trump's revised travel ban. A motion filed in federal court on Tuesday, March 7, 2017, in Honolulu says the state wants to amend its existing lawsuit challenging Trump's previous order.  (AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy, File)
FILE - In this Feb. 3, 2017, file photo, Hawaii Attorney General Doug Chin speaks at a news conference in Honolulu announcing the state of Hawaii has filed a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump's travel ban. H... FILE - In this Feb. 3, 2017, file photo, Hawaii Attorney General Doug Chin speaks at a news conference in Honolulu announcing the state of Hawaii has filed a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump's travel ban. Hawaii is planning to challenge Trump's revised travel ban. A motion filed in federal court on Tuesday, March 7, 2017, in Honolulu says the state wants to amend its existing lawsuit challenging Trump's previous order. (AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy, File) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Hawaii state Attorney General Doug Chin on Thursday criticized Attorney General Jeff Sessions for remarking that it is amazing that a judge on “an island in the Pacific” could stop President Donald Trump’s travel ban.

“President Trump previously called a federal judge in California a so-called judge. Now U.S. Attorney General Sessions appears to dismiss a federal judge in Hawaii as just a judge sitting on an island in the Pacific,” Chin said in a statement. “Our Constitution created a separation of powers in the United States for a reason. Our federal courts, established under article III of the Constitution, are co-equal partners with Congress and the President. It is disappointing AG Sessions does not acknowledge that.”

During an interview on “The Mark Levin” radio show Wednesday, Sessions complained that a federal judge in Hawaii blocked Trump’s travel ban, appearing to question that judge’s authority.

“I really am amazed that a judge sitting on an island in the Pacific can issue an order that stops the President of the United States from what appears to be clearly his statutory and Constitutional power,” Sessions said.

Under fire from Hawaii Democrats for Sessions’ remarks, the Department of Justice on Thursday released a statement noting that Hawaii is an island in the Pacific.

“Hawaii is, in fact, an island in the Pacific – a beautiful one where the Attorney General’s granddaughter was born,” Ian Prior, a spokesman for the Justice Department, said in a statement. “The point, however, is that there is a problem when a flawed opinion by a single judge can block the President’s lawful exercise of authority to keep the entire country safe.”

Latest Livewire
41
Show Comments

Notable Replies

  1. Judge Derrick Watson is in Honolulu, on the island of Oahu, not the island of Hawaii. Hawaii, as Sessions referenced it, is not an island in the Pacific but a state. Sessions is some kind of stupid.

  2. Avatar for jadez jadez says:

    WELL there is no longer any penalty for attacking judges for allowing police brutality or for overt racism.

    in fact EVERY racist comment made by the puppet or members of his regime is manna for what is left of their followers .
    and holding their base together is the main concern.

    there are always enough idiots to sway with say…dropping a few bombs.

    sessons we are told will be swept away when the Russian connection finally gets to indictment and prosecution.

    lets hope that comes quickly…i can not see any other way to slow down the damage being done.

  3. That has been a given from before his confirmation hearings. The totalitarian regime believes that if they say it it is law, and screw anyone else.

    We can’t vote them out early enough, since the replacements are worse.

  4. Apparently, some human is Attorney General of these United States, but you gotta wonder.

  5. Ok, sO soMe not-americaN chinaMan froM aN island in the paCific basicallY confirmS SessIons thaT it IS some islaNd in the Pacific, mayBe neaR china. MaYbe really China? MayBe theY aren’t heLping with Kim Jung one of them after aLL.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

35 more replies

Participants

Avatar for heart Avatar for fgs Avatar for jootjoint Avatar for vonq Avatar for sf_brian Avatar for sickneffintired Avatar for lastroth Avatar for theghostofeustacetilley Avatar for billymac Avatar for iamwil Avatar for mrf Avatar for pshah Avatar for jonathanlamb Avatar for lamitatron1 Avatar for clauscph Avatar for established_1781 Avatar for originalbob Avatar for bloomster Avatar for lizzymom Avatar for dcd Avatar for drtv Avatar for aiddon Avatar for loss_mentality Avatar for win

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: