White House senior counselor Kellyanne Conway told Fox News that President Donald Trump remains committed to Judge Neil Gorsuch’s nomination to the Supreme Court, despite the judge’s criticism of the president behind closed doors.
Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal revealed yesterday that Gorsuch had called the president’s attacks on the federal judiciary “disheartening and disappointing,” during a private meeting on Wednesday. Conway says the remarks do not compromise Trump’s commitment to Gorsuch’s confirmation.
“The president is fully confident in the nominee,” Conway said.
She went on to point to several polls which indicate a majority of Americans support elevating Gorsuch to the high court. “This is what matters the most, because he is communicating with them on the substance,” she said. A recent SurveyMonkey tracking poll showed respondents favored Gorsuch’s confirmation 53 percent to 42 percent.
The president went after Blumenthal in an early morning tweet Thursday, accusing the senator of misconstruing Gorsuch’s remarks. He also attacked Blumenthal for fabricating stories about serving in the Vietnam War during his first bid for the Senate in 2010. (RELATED: Trump Savages Sen. Blumenthal For Lying About Fighting In The Vietnam War)
Former Sen. Kelly Ayotte, who is running point for the White House on the Gorsuch confirmation, clarified the judge’s comments in a statement released early Thursday morning. She emphasized that judicial ethics preclude Gorsuch from commenting on particular controversies.
“He has also emphasized the importance of an independent judiciary, and while he made clear that he was not referring to any specific case, he said that he finds any criticism of a judge’s integrity and independence disheartening and demoralizing,” she added.
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