Kevin Daley, DCNF
Two Democratic appointees to federal appeals courts expressed reluctance to retire during President Donald Trump’s administration, claiming the president has not fielded impressive judicial nominees.
Two unnamed judges told BuzzFeed News that they have concerns about the temperament of Trump’s judicial candidates, despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of his nominees attained approving reviews from legal trade associations.
One circuit judge claimed Trump’s nominees lack the qualifications necessary for judicial service.
“Given the caliber of nominees I’m seeing, I’m not comfortable creating a spot that might be filled by someone consistent with the qualifications, or lack of qualifications, of some of the folks I’ve seen nominated,” the judge said. The judge is eligible to assume senior status, a quasi-retirement under which aging judges may leave active service but still participate in a handful of cases.
Another circuit judge accused the president of “blatantly politicizing” the courts, as they expressed anxiety about Trump’s agenda.
“This president is someone who I am just so anxious about what he might do and also the quality of some of the nominees, some of whom have now withdrawn,” the judge said. “That makes it a greater concern for me than if it were a different president who happened to be Republican but was making wise decisions with respect to the judiciary and wasn’t so blatantly politicizing it.”
Both judges were appointed by Democratic presidents, according to BuzzFeed News.
Many judges, especially at the circuit court level, have ideological loyalties to certain legal principles or modes of interpretation, and schedule retirement so as to ensure they are succeeded by a like-minded jurist. Still, the statements are fairly remarkable, as judges rarely interact with the press, especially concerning a topic as sensitive and politically fraught as retirement.
The remarks are also surprising in that most of the president’s judicial nominees have earned the approval of the American Bar Association (ABA), a powerful trade group that vets candidates for the federal bench. Of Trump’s 58 nominees, 54 secured “qualified” or “well qualified” ratings from the association’s standing committee on the judiciary. Trump’s circuit court appointees in particular have fared well under ABA scrutiny — 15 of his 18 nominees obtained “well qualified” ratings.
Studies suggest that the ABA, which supports a number of progressive social causes, tends to favor Democratic appointees, though the group insists its vetting process is scrupulously non-partisan.
The administration has recently enduring several embarrassing nomination blunders, however. Three nominees withdrew from consideration in December over concerns about experience and temperament. FEC Commissioner Andrew Petersen, a nominee for the federal trial court in Washington, D.C., withdrew after failing to answer basic questions about trial procedure during his confirmation hearing. Jeff Mateer and Brett Talley, nominees for trial courts in Texas and Alabama, also withdrew given their histories of inflammatory rhetoric on social issues.
Send tips to [email protected].
The Daily Caller News Foundation is working hard to balance out the biased American media. For as little as $3, you can help us. Freedom of speech isn’t free. Make a one-time donation to support the quality, independent journalism of TheDCNF. We’re not dependent on commercial or political support and we do not accept any government funding.
For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].
DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW
Please help us! If you are fed up with letting radical big tech execs, phony fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals and a lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news please consider making a donation to BPR to help us fight them. Now is the time. Truth has never been more critical!
- The Florida candidate laser-focused on eradicating horrific animal crimes - March 22, 2024
- Sabo: ‘Rush was our GOAT, there was no equal and he made it look easy’ - February 18, 2024
- Dana Bash appears to want to crawl out of her own skin when Ramaswamy ‘goes there’ on J6 - December 7, 2023
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.
BPR INSIDER COMMENTS
Scroll down for non-member comments or join our insider conversations by becoming a member. We'd love to have you!