Politics

President Trump Adds Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton, Josh Hawley And Others To SCOTUS Nominee List

Anders Hagstrom White House Correspondent
Font Size:

President Donald Trump added 20 names to his list of potential Supreme Court Justices on Wednesday, supplementing the list he originally presented before the 2016 election.

Trump notably added three Republican senators to the list, including Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, and Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley. The original members such as U.S. 7th Circuit Judge Amy Coney Barrett and 3rd Circuit Court Judge Tom Hardiman remain on the list.

“President Trump’s list of potential Supreme Court nominees demonstrates his commitment to appointing originalists, who will abide by the Constitution, and textualists, who will implement the plain meaning of statutes,” White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany told the Daily Caller. “They will uphold the rule of law and ensure that America continues to shine as a beacon of freedom and justice around the world.”

Soon after the announcement, Cotton tweeted that it was “time for Roe V. Wade to go,” and well as affirming his support for the 2nd Amendment.

Hawley, however, thanked Trump for including him on the list but said he preferred to stay in the Senate.

Trump announced he would be releasing a new list in June, following a pair of SCOTUS decisions that were seen as blows to his administration and conservatives generally. (RELATED: ‘The Supreme Court Doesn’t Like Me’ — Supreme Court DACA Decision Reignites Trump’s Call For More Justices)

Trump’s announcement came amid a media firestorm over reports that Trump admitted to Washington Post Columnist Bob Woodward that he had downplayed the severity of the coronavirus in order to maintain calm. (RELATED: ‘Betrayal Of The American People’: Biden Slams Trump On Woodward Tapes)

Woodward released select recordings from his interviews with Trump for his upcoming book on the Trump administration, titled “Rage.” More expansive recordings are to be released during this weekend’s “60 Minutes” program.

Woodward told Trump in a March 19 interview that “it’s clear, just from what’s on the public record that you went through a pivot on [coronavirus] to, ‘oh my god, the gravity is almost inexplicable and unexplainable.’” Woodward then asked him what caused the change in rhetoric.

“To be honest with you,” Trump responded. “I wanted to always play it down. I still like playing it down, because I don’t want to create a panic.”