President Donald Trump today released a list of potential Supreme Court nominees from which he would nominate any future judges on the nation’s highest court if he is re-elected to a second term. The list includes the kind of conservative jurists pro-life groups support because they have a history of upholding pro-life legislation or following the rule of law rather than legislating from the bench.
During his campaign in 2016, Trump released a similar well-received list that remind pro-life voters about the importance of judges in the presidential election and how the Supreme Court has kept virtually unlimited abortions in place since 1973. Trump eventually nominated Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch from that list.
“What has always made America exceptions has been our reverence for the rule of law,” Trump said during a speech announcing the list. “Unfortunately there is a growing radical left movement” that rejects it.
He condemned Democrats, who want to put judges on the nation’s highest court who would force Americans to fund late-term abortions. “Our right to life” is at risk, he said.
Trump released the names of 20 additional judges that he is adding to his original list that he announced in 2016. Some of those names include Republican Sens. Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton and Josh Hawley, each of whom are strongly pro-life and have long pro-life voting records. Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who is a very strong pro-life advocate, is another name added to the list.
Judge Amy Coney Barrett is still at the top of the list along with Judge Amul Thapar and pro-life Sen. Mike Lee of Utah.
President Trump’s Additional Supreme Court Candidates:
Bridget Bade, Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Daniel Cameron, 51st Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Kentucky
Tom Cotton, U.S. Senator from Arkansas
Paul Clement, partner with Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Ted Cruz, U.S. Senator from Texas
Stuart Kyle Duncan, Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Steven Engel, Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel of the U.S. Department of Justice
Noel Francisco, former Solicitor General of the United States
Josh Hawley, U.S. Senator from Missouri
James Ho, Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Gregory Katsas, Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
Barbara Lagoa, Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
Christopher Landau, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the United Mexican States
Carlos Muñiz, Justice on the Supreme Court of Florida
Martha Pacold, Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Peter Phipps, Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
Sarah Pitlyk, Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
Allison Jones Rushing, Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Kate Todd, Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Counsel to the President
Lawrence VanDyke, Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
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President @realDonaldTrump announces his list of potential Supreme Court nominees pic.twitter.com/sUqBoeect3
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Cotton said in a statement that he was “honored” by the selection, adding that he believes “the Supreme Court could use some more justices who understand the difference between applying the law and making the law, which the court does when it invents a right to an abortion, infringes on religious freedom, and erodes the Second Amendment.”
Cruz said in a statement that he is “grateful for the president’s confidence in me and for his leadership in nominating principled constitutionalists to the federal bench.”
A leading pro-life group praised the president for his news list of potential Supreme Court appointees.
“President Trump’s latest Supreme Court list is filled with all-stars. The list reflects the president’s firm and proven commitment to only nominating Supreme Court justices who will respect the Constitution and the inalienable right to life,” SBA List president Marjorie Dannanfelser told LifeNews.com. “We are confident that if a Supreme Court vacancy occurs in 2020 that President Trump and our pro-life Senate majority led by Leader McConnell and Judiciary Chairman Graham will move swiftly to fill it.”
“In contrast to President Trump, Joe Biden will only nominate Supreme Court justices who will uphold the Roe regime that allows for abortion on demand through birth,” she added. “The issue of the Supreme Court continues to highly motivate our base and we are seeing it persuade targeted voters at their doorsteps in presidential and Senate battlegrounds. It is a central issue in emphasizing that the 2020 election is the most important of our lifetimes and is why SBA List is committed to educating seven million voters across key presidential and Senate battlegrounds.”
