Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told The Hill this week that he “raised concerns” with President Donald Trump about both of his previous nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court before they were selected.
“It is too early to assess the tenures of Justices [Neil] Gorsuch and [Brett] Kavanaugh. These things are typically measured in matters of decades rather than just a couple of years. But I raised concerns with the president about both of them,” Cruz told The Hill on Thursday while promoting his new book, “One Vote Away: How a Single Supreme Court Seat Can Change History.”
He added that in 2017 and in 2018 he pushed the president to pick Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, instead of Gorsuch or Kavanaugh, though he did note that Judge Amy Coney Barrett appears to be “exceptionally qualified” for the post.
“Mike Lee has a proven record. He has stood and defended constitutional principles over and over and over again. And he’s paid the price for it. That has proven to be the most reliable predictor, a fidelity to the Constitution despite whatever social or public criticism that might take,” Cruz said.
The senator notes in his book that presidents should select judges who have proven themselves capable of resisting criticism in the media and among their peers.
“All of the social pressure in Washington pulls justices to the left,” Cruz told the Hill. “There’s only one direction that justices move and the reason is that when a justice votes with the left, the press lionizes them and the Washington social scene embraces them. And justices who want to be popular in Washington, I believe historically have made terrible justices.”
He also said, “I want a justice who has no desire to go to DC cocktail parties.”
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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