In a bid to curry favor with his weakening conservative base, Trump today dangled a list of 20 possible Supreme Court appointees. It’s a doozy. I’m not going to comment on it much further, but it includes ridiculous picks like Tom Cotton, Josh Hawley, and (yes!) Ted Cruz.
There are quite a few judges on the list, no doubt vetted by the Federalist Society, that have the experience to be fit for the appointment, but the inclusion of the politicians listed above makes it clear that this is just a teaser to excite the base.
But who knows? Trump might appoint Rudy Giuliani, should he get the chance. For this reason, I think this list is going to inspire the base: our base. I haven’t looked up any of the people I don’t know, but I’m sure that every one of them will be a nightmare for decades to come.
Here’s the list:
Bridget Bade, a Trump appointee to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
Daniel Cameron, Republican attorney general of Kentucky
Paul Clement, former solicitor general under President George W. Bush
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.)
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas)
Stuart Kyle Duncan, a Trump appointee to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
Steven Engel, currently the assistant attorney general for the Office of Legal Counsel
Noel Francisco, who recently stepped down as the U.S. solicitor general
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.)
James Ho, a Trump appointee to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
Gregory Katsas, who served as deputy White House counsel in the Trump administration before being tapped for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
Barbara Lagoa, 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
Christopher Landau, the U.S. ambassador to Mexico and former clerk for Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas
Carlos Muñiz, a justice of the Supreme Court of Florida
Martha Pacold, a Trump appointee to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Peter Phipps, a Trump appointee to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
Sarah Pitlyk, a Trump appointee to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
Alison Jones Rushing, U.S. Circuit Judge of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
Kate Todd, former chief counsel for the litigation arm of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce