WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said he plans to tap Chad Meredith, a former state solicitor general in Kentucky, for a federal judgeship in the state - a move that could face objections from Sen. Rand Paul, who opposed the nomination three years ago.
Mr. Meredith was the starring player in a bit of judicial nominations drama in the previous administration, when then-President Biden had agreed to nominate Mr. Meredith, who was enthusiastically supported by Sen. Mitch McConnell, the former Senate majority leader. It was a curious move at the time, because Mr. Meredith had a track record of defending Kentucky’s anti-abortion laws and the nomination would come in the immediate aftermath of the 2022 Supreme Court decision that eliminated a constitutional right to the procedure.
But Mr. Paul indicated to the Biden White House at the time that he would block Mr. Meredith’s confirmation proceedings from moving forward, so the former president never formally nominated him. Mr. Biden’s decision to back off Mr. Meredith was also a relief to Democrats and abortion rights groups who had been enraged at the prospect of Mr. Biden tapping an anti-abortion lawyer for a lifetime judiciary seat.
In a social media post announcing the nomination on Wednesday night, Mr. Trump called Mr. Meredith “highly experienced and well qualified.”
“Chad is a courageous Patriot who knows what is required to uphold the Rule of Law, and protect our Constitution,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Mr. McConnell said in a statement Wednesday that Mr. Trump made an “outstanding choice” in choosing Mr. Meredith, who also served as chief deputy general counsel for former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin.
“His demonstrated devotion to the rule of law and the Constitution will serve the people of Kentucky well on the federal bench,” Mr. McConnell said. “I look forward to the Senate confirming his nomination.”
Mr. Paul’s office did not immediately return a request for comment on the nomination. Three years ago, Mr. Paul accused Mr. McConnell of cutting a “secret deal” with the White House as a reason why Mr. Meredith’s nomination never moved forward under Mr. Biden.
“Unfortunately, instead of communicating and lining up support for him, Senator McConnell chose to cut a secret deal with the White House that fell apart,” Mr. Paul said at the time.
Mr. Paul never made any substantive objections about Mr. Meredith himself. It’s unclear whether Mr. Paul would hold similar process concerns with Mr. Meredith’s formal nomination under Mr. Trump.
But Mr. Paul had effective veto power over a judicial pick in his home state because the Senate continues to honor the so-called blue slip rule, a decades-old custom that says a judicial nominee won’t move forward if there is opposition from his or her home-state senator. The Biden White House also deferred to that custom, which is why Mr. Biden never ended up nominating Mr. Meredith.
Though the rule has been eroded in part, namely for appellate court judges whose seat spans several states, the custom has remained intact for district court nominees who are more closely tied to their home states. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, Iowa Republican, has so far made no indication that he would deviate from that longstanding custom.
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