Nomination Notes: Advocates denounce the Senate’s confirmation of “committed Trump loyalist” Justin Smith
This excerpt is from a piece that originally ran on June 15, 2026.
Alliance for Justice (AFJ) President Rachel Rossi also sounded the alarm, saying that “Senate Republicans have once again set back the cause of justice by installing another Trump sycophant on the federal courts.”
“In no world can Justin Smith be trusted to faithfully and impartially interpret the law, particularly given he has spent years arguing that Trump is unaccountable to our laws,” Rossi said. “Moreover, Smith is not the first nor the last of Trump’s personal attorneys who he is trying to reward with a lifetime appointment. The Senate Republicans’ unflinching loyalty to Trump — even by those he’s betrayed — must not go unnoticed.”
Beyond his legal representation of and loyalty to Trump, advocates have also been deeply troubled by Smith’s civil and human rights record.