Donald Trump has selected Judge Neil Gorsuch as his nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court. And, of course, he made the announcement in the most Trump-ian way.
The president revealed his nomination on Tuesday during a live televised broadcast in prime time—an untraditional move that underscored his well-known fixation with high TV ratings. Furthermore, in the hours leading up to his announcement, it was reported Trump had summoned his top Supreme Court finalists to the nation’s capitol, adding more suspense and buzz to the situation. Some said the structure and promotion of the broadcast was similar to that of a reality competition show finale. The New York Times referred to it as “The Apprentice, SCOTUS Edition.” Others were so outraged by the setup that they called for a boycott.
Prior to the controversial announcement, it was rumored that Judge Thomas Hardiman of the Third Circuit was Gorsuch’s main contender. Both men have strong conservative records, and were widely considered fitting replacements for the ultra conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, who passed away in February of last year.
"Millions of voters said this was the single most important issue to them, and I am a man of my word and will do what I say, something the American people have been asking of Washington for a very, very long time," Trump said Tuesday. "Today I am keeping another promise to the American people by nominating Neil Gorsuch."
Following the announcement, Trump invited Gorsuch to the stage, telling the crowd, "So was this a surprise? Was it?" The predictability of it all was almost painful.
Shortly after the broadcasts, GOP politicians went to social media to express their approval. House Speaker Paul Ryan and Ted Cruz praised Gorsuch as a defender of "religious liberty."
But, of course, many Democrats aren't pleased with Trump's selection. Will they pull out all the stops to block the nomination? It looks like things might just go that way, though not every Democrat was on board.
