How Trump is reshaping one of the country’s most liberal courts
Published in PBS News Hour
Sen. Mitch McConnell has also eliminated some rules that would allow Democrats to delay nominations.
Democrats say those changes mean Trump is not only able to get more judicial appointments confirmed but can also appoint more conservative judges without fear of opposition.
“It’s very clear that Donald Trump, when making nominations to that court was not look for independent, non-biased jurists. He was looking for ultra-conservative ideologies who would carry out the Trump agenda,” said Daniel Goldberg, the legal director of the Alliance for Justice, a progressive advocacy organization focused on the courts.
Conservatives, on the other hand, praise Trump’s picks as constitutional “originalists.” To them, getting people with that kind of ideology confirmed to lifetime appointments is one of the president’s finest accomplishments. They say the judges, many of whom are young, will leave a mark on the courts for years to come.