OPINION:
Lawyer Erin Morrow Hawley has reportedly been in contact with the White House to express interest in the judicial vacancy on the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Mrs. Hawley is battle-tested and bench-ready, precisely the type of courageous and qualified nominee that meets President Trump’s standard for nomination to the federal circuit courts.
Recent news has highlighted the positive impact of Mr. Trump’s federal appellate judge selections being “right.” Judge Lawrence VanDyke of the 9th Circuit, nominated by Mr. Trump in 2019, has proved to be a staunch defender of the Constitution and a fearless protector of Americans’ rights, even when doing so is unpopular. Judge VanDyke defended Californians’ Second Amendment rights during COVID-19 and has held that beauty pageant companies may limit pageant participation solely to biological women.
More recently, Mr. VanDyke dissented in defense of the right to bear arms in Duncan v. Bonta. The dissent included a video component in which he powerfully demonstrated constitutional fluency and knowledge of firearms. Judge James Ho of the 5th Circuit, nominated by Mr. Trump in 2017, has proved to be a similarly strong and courageous asset to American liberty from the bench.
Judge Ho also has defended Americans’ right to bear arms, spoken up for the dignity of life from the bench and supported religious objections to tyrannical vaccine mandates during COVID-19, among other “wins” for constitutionalism and freedom. Judges VanDyke and Ho demonstrate how federal circuit judges with proven commitments to constitutional principles can positively shape the advancement of truth and liberty in our nation.
Mrs. Hawley presents an excellent opportunity for Mr. Trump to make yet another outstanding nomination to the circuit courts. She and her husband, Sen. Josh Hawley, Missouri Republican, have a demonstrated record of immense courage, and Mrs. Hawley’s qualifications are exceptional. Mrs. Hawley, who has argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on multiple occasions, has bravely protected the dignity of life, religious liberty, marriage and other key principles in truly trying battles that only the most courageous nominees could weather.
Mrs. Hawley has protected children from the political left’s radical gender crusade, warning that “childhood gender transition hormones and surgeries come with serious and often irreversible physical consequences.” She has also defended the integrity and safety of women’s sports. She litigated Dobbs, calling overturning Roe v. Wade the “project of a lifetime.” She boldly opposed President Biden’s executive order requiring federal contractors to be vaccinated against COVID-19, and she has fearlessly and on multiple occasions supported Mr. Trump’s authority to fire executive agency personnel.
(Mr. Hawley also demonstrated bold fearlessness when he dared to object to the Electoral College results in the 2020 election.)
According to a news report, when protesters gathered outside Mr. Hawley’s Virginia home in 2021 in response to his actions supporting election integrity, Mrs. Hawley, home alone with her newborn daughter, responded with notable tact and composure. She reportedly opened the front door and, while holding her baby, calmly asked the crowd to “clear out, please,” adding, “We’ve got neighbors and a baby, thank you.”
This display of poise, courage and measured temperament in the face of a physical threat by the opposition underscores the courage and fearlessness that have become increasingly necessary on the federal bench.
As a liberal commentator recently declared, “For conservatives … [Mrs.] Hawley is a near-perfect judicial nominee.” On that point, I’ll have to agree. I pray that Mr. Trump nominates Erin Morrow Hawley to follow in the footsteps of previously appointed judicial successes in defense of liberty and constitutionalism on the federal circuit courts. She is battle-tested, courageous and bench-ready.
• Walker Wildmon serves as a vice president of the American Family Association and as a spokesperson for AFA, and as the CEO and member of the board of directors of AFA Action. Mr. Wildmon graduated from Mississippi State University with a degree in political science. He lives in Tupelo, Mississippi, with his wife, Lexie, and their five children.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.