Neil Gorsuch called Trump’s attacks on judiciary ‘demoralizing’: spokesman

President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch told a Democratic senator he found it “disheartening” and “demoralizing” when the president slammed federal judges over a court order that blocked his immigration ban.

When the White House was asked to comment on Gorsuch’s meeting with Schumer, the team working on his nomination declined to give a statement.

Senator Richard Blumenthal of CT told reporters about Mr Gorsuch’s comments after meeting privately on Wednesday with Mr Trump’s nominee.

The senator, who is also a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee that will vet and hold hearings on Gorsuch, pointed out that the nominee specifically used those words in characterizing Trump’s outbursts on Twitter.

“Behind closed doors, Judge Gorsuch expressed disappointment with President Trump’s attacks on the judiciary, but a Supreme Court Justice must prove that he has the courage and independence to stand up to a President in public”.

This story is breaking and will be updated.

The legislative branch of the government will have far more incumbent Democrats than Republicans in the 2018 elections.

Arizona’s two Republican senators have introduced legislation to create a 12th Circuit Court by breaking up the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based in California.

Blumenthal said he was “disappointed that [Gorsuch] was not more forthcoming and specific” in response to his questions. Later, he was appointed to his current position as a federal appellate judge sitting on the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Trump has been on a days-long crusade against the judicial branch after a Seattle judge halted his controversial executive order temporarily halting the US refugee program and barring entry from seven predominantly Muslim countries. In recent years, President Obama berated conservative Supreme Court justices for their Citizens United decision while they sat directly in front of him during his State of the Union address.

Gorsuch may be a sacrificial lamb, with Trump thinking long term. While the Left has a lot of political tricks up their sleeves, Republican Senators have a number of strategies to steamroll opposition to Gorsuch.

In his first two weeks in office, President Donald Trump has shown an alarming disregard for the courts and the constitutional limits on his power.

“I couldn’t believe I got picked”, McCaskill said.

Schumer said he hopes and prays that Republicans do not change Senate rules so Gorsuch can be confirmed with a simple majority vote instead of the usual 60 votes.

Defenders of the president argue that other presidents have criticized court rulings before, and that the only difference here is one of tone, not substance. They should vigorously question Gorsuch on those topics during the hearings and vote their conscience.