Verdict's In: Key Conservative Groups Give Glowing Reports on Kavanaugh
Leaders from several major conservative advocacy groups have come out in support of President Donald Trump’s nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court.
In announcing the nomination Monday night, Trump said, “What matters is not a judge’s political views, but whether they can set aside those views to do what the law and the Constitution require.” In Washington, D.C., Circuit Court Judge Kavanaugh, Trump said, he had found such a person.
Conservative leaders were quick to voice their support for the president’s pick.
Heritage Foundation president Kay Cole James tweeted, “Brett Kavanaugh has top-notch credentials and will be another great justice on SCOTUS.”
Brett Kavanaugh has top-notch credentials and will be another great justice on SCOTUS.
— Kay C. James (@KayColesJames) July 10, 2018
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, wrote in a Twitter post that “President Trump promised a constitutionalist – someone who will call balls and strikes according to the Constitution. Judge Kavanaugh has a long & praiseworthy history of judging as an originalist.
“We look forward to having a justice with his philosophical approach on the Court.”
President Trump promised a constitutionalist – someone who will call balls and strikes according to the Constitution. Judge Kavanaugh has a long & praiseworthy history of judging as an originalist. We look forward to having a justice with his philosophical approach on the Court.
— Tony Perkins (@tperkins) July 10, 2018
National Rifle Association executive director Chris Cox said, “President Trump has made another outstanding choice in nominating Brett Kavanaugh for the U.S. Supreme Court. He has an impressive record that demonstrates his strong support for the Second Amendment.”
#SCOTUS: “President Trump (@realDonaldTrump) has made another outstanding choice in nominating Brett Kavanaugh for the U.S. Supreme Court. He has an impressive record that demonstrates his strong support for the Second Amendment.” — @ChrisCoxNRA #2A #NRA https://t.co/s2uwtYNd6g
— NRA (@NRA) July 10, 2018
Franklin Graham, president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, tweeted that Trump has “kept his word — again.”
“He promised the American people that if he had the opportunity, he’d nominate conservative justices to the U.S. Supreme Court, & he’s done just that,” the Christian leader tweeted.
The progressive, socialist left are of course already enraged. Another conservative justice threatens their agendas and the direction they were trying to push this country. They are rallying their forces and had begun protesting even before the announcement was made! 2/3
— Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) July 10, 2018
Kavanaugh has gotten top marks from major pro-life groups, according to Jim Geraghty, senior political correspondent for the conservative publication National Review.
In a Tuesday article headlined “Don’t Worry, Conservatives — Everybody You Like Loves This Guy,” Geraghty quoted Douglas Johnson, senior policy adviser to National Right to Life, as saying: “Judge Kavanaugh’s record, viewed as a whole, indicates a willingness to enforce the rights truly based on the text and history of the Constitution, while otherwise leaving policymaking in the hands of elected legislators.”
Geraghty also quoted Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List, stating: “President Trump has made another outstanding choice in nominating Judge Brett Kavanaugh to replace Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, keeping his promise to nominate only originalist judges to the Court. Judge Kavanaugh is an experienced, principled jurist with a strong record of protecting life and constitutional rights.”
Finally, the editorial board of National Review, a publication, remember, that dedicated an entire issue to opposing Trump’s candidacy during the 2016 GOP primary campaign, described Kavanaugh in glowing terms.
“As a judge in the highest-profile appeals court in the nation, he has shown an exemplary dedication to the rule of law,” the editors wrote.
“He has repeatedly cautioned his colleagues on the bench not to attempt to play a legislative role. He has also insisted on enforcing constitutional structures of accountability on government agencies,” the editors added.
EDITORIAL | Judge Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump’s new nominee for the Supreme Court, is a whip-smart legal conservative. https://t.co/vKJlkNksYh pic.twitter.com/aTtPRGP8QB
— National Review (@NRO) July 10, 2018
“He has vindicated the right to free speech, to bear arms, and to religious liberty,” the National Review board recounted.
In accepting the nomination, Kavanaugh — who was appointed to the D.C. Circuit by President George W. Bush in 2006 — stated: “My judicial philosophy is straightforward. A judge must be independent and must interpret the law, not make the law. A judge must interpret statutes as written. And a judge must interpret the Constitution as written, informed by history and tradition and precedent.”
Of course, Kavanaugh still has to get through what is likely to be a grueling confirmation process. How he holds up under that will tell the country a lot about the man who could be so influential for the next several decades.
And there are some in conservative circles who have reservations about Kavanaugh’s support for civil liberties, as an American Conservative piece pointed out Tuesday.
But on the whole, and so far, at least, it would appear that Kavanaugh, like Gorsuch before him, is quickly garnering conservative support from many corners.
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