Trump woos vulnerable red-state Democratic senators on Supreme Court vacancy

Joe Manchin and Donald Trump

Donald Trump is working on peeling off a couple of Democratic votes for whatever monstrosity he nominates to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court, and it’s not hard for him to identify his targets: the three Senate Democrats who voted for Neil Gorsuch, himself quite the monster. Trump met with North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, and Indiana Sen. Joe Donnelly (all of whom are up for re-election this year) at the White House on Thursday, and they all came out sounding awfully chipper about it.

Manchin:

I appreciate @realDonaldTrump inviting me to the White House tonight. We had a productive conversation about how we can work together to move #WV and our county forward. I look forward to more positive meetings.

— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) June 29, 2018

(Pretty sure you meant “country” there, Joe. Although if the conversation was about moving one specific West Virginia county forward it might almost be more believable.)

Donnelly said in a statement that “I had a good conversation with the president on a range of issues, including the Supreme Court vacancy.”

Heitkamp:

“The President assured me that he wants to pick someone who could gain a wide amount of support,” Heitkamp said after her meeting, vowing on Twitter that she was ready to work with Mr. Trump.

Sure he does, Heidi.

These three Democrats no doubt think—in addition to their considerable conservatism—that playing nice with Trump is the way to be re-elected. But stopping judges like the one Trump is likely to nominate is why it matters to elect Democrats. They need to face unrelenting pressure to do the right thing here.

Sign and send a petition to Senate Democrats: Stop Trump's Supreme Court pick.