President Trump says he’d want Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to trigger the “nuclear option” to do away with the 60-vote threshold in the Senate if Democrats filibuster his nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court.
“Yes, I would,” Mr. Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity Thursday. “We have obstructionists.”
“What they did to Jeff Sessions, who’s a great man and a wonderful man, and then they delayed it another week because they have a one-week delay option — that’s not fair to a man,” he said, referring to Mr. Sessions, his nominee for attorney general.
“Other people are delayed,” Mr. Trump said, citing CIA Director Mike Pompeo, who ended up getting confirmed on Monday rather than last Friday.
“Why are they doing that?” he said. “I’ll tell you what — they’re obstructionists.”
As for the Supreme Court pick, Mr. Trump said he’s “made my decision pretty much in my mind, yes.”
“Subject to change at the last moment, but I think this will be a great choice,” he said.
Three names that have been mentioned as possible nominees are Judge William Pryor of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, Judge Thomas Hardiman of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, and Judge Neil Gorsuch of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit.
There is a vacancy on the court left by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.
In 2013, former Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid helped trigger the “nuclear option” so that some of former President Barack Obama’s judicial and executive nominees could be confirmed with a simple majority, but the move did not change the 60-vote threshold for Supreme Court nominees.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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