A recent supercut by MS NOW highlights how fearful Donald Trump's judicial nominees are of displeasing the president by telling the truth. During Senate Judiciary Committee hearings, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) has asked Trump's judicial appointees whether they believe President Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election. Although the correct answer is clearly yes, Trump's nominees have been reluctant to say so, as Trump continues to demand that the 2020 election results be "permanently wiped from the books."
According to reports, as many as 40 of Trump's nominees for lifetime federal judgeships have given misleading or false responses to the election question. Instead of simply acknowledging Biden's victory, these nominees have attempted to evade the straightforward query by stating that Biden was "certified" by Congress or that he "served" as president. This tactic mirrors the approach long used by Republican lawmakers to avoid contradicting Trump's baseless claims about the 2020 election.
Blumenthal Expresses Frustration
During a Monday appearance on "Morning Joe," Blumenthal expressed his frustration with the nominees' unwillingness to go against Trump on the election issue. "What these answers demonstrate to me is there was a fear of Donald Trump that would absolutely indicate their lack of independence," Blumenthal said. The show supported his contention with a supercut featuring nominees like Arthur Jones, Michael Hendershot, and Jeffrey Kuntz, who all struggled to give a direct answer.
Republican Voices Also Questioning
While Democrats have been leading the charge on this issue, at least one Republican has also raised questions. Last week, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) was overheard on a hot mic asking his staff, "What would be wrong if they said Biden won?" This indicates that even within the Republican party, there is some concern about the nominees' reluctance to acknowledge the election results.
The supercut, shared by journalist Aaron Rupar on social media, has drawn attention to the ongoing issue of judicial nominees avoiding the truth to stay in Trump's good graces. As the confirmation process continues, the question of whether these nominees can be independent judges remains a point of contention.
