Latest news with #MitchMcConnell
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Trump picks federal judge three years after failed nomination
President Donald Trump has announced his intention to nominate Chad Meredith for a federal judgeship in Kentucky, a move that could reignite a contentious battle with Senator Rand Paul, who previously opposed the appointment. Meredith, a former state solicitor general, was at the centre of a judicial nominations controversy during the Biden administration. Then-President Joe Biden had reportedly agreed to nominate Meredith, who was enthusiastically supported by Senator Mitch McConnell. The prospect was met with significant concern, given Meredith's track record of defending Kentucky's anti-abortion laws, particularly in the immediate aftermath of the 2022 Supreme Court decision that eliminated the constitutional right to abortion. However, Senator Paul signalled to the Biden White House that he would block Meredith's confirmation proceedings, leading the then-President to never formally put forward his name. Biden's decision to withdraw from the nomination was a relief to Democrats and abortion rights groups, who had expressed outrage at the idea of an anti-abortion lawyer securing a lifetime judiciary seat. Mr. Trump's renewed push for Meredith sets the stage for a potential repeat of the earlier confirmation dispute, with Senator Paul's past opposition looming large. In a social media post announcing the nomination, Trump called 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,' Trump wrote on Truth Social Wednesday night. McConnell said in a statement Wednesday that Trump made an 'outstanding choice' in choosing 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,' McConnell said. 'I look forward to the Senate confirming his nomination.' Paul's office did not immediately return a request for comment Wednesday night on the nomination. Three years ago, Paul accused McConnell of cutting a 'secret deal' with the White House as a reason why Meredith's nomination never moved forward under 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,' Paul said at the time. Paul never made any substantive objections about Meredith himself. It's unclear whether Paul would hold similar process concerns with Meredith's formal nomination under Trump. But 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 Biden never ended up nominating 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, R-Iowa, has so far made no indication that he would deviate from that longstanding custom. Lena Zwarensteyn, senior director of the fair courts program and an adviser at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, criticized Trump's selection of Meredith given his 'disturbing anti-abortion record." 'The nomination of Chad Meredith to a lifetime judgeship should trouble everyone,' Zwarensteyn said.
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Trump's latest judicial pick is someone that Joe Biden almost nominated
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Wednesday 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. Meredith was the starring player in a bit of judicial nominations drama in the previous administration, when then-President Joe Biden had agreed to nominate Meredith, who was enthusiastically supported by Sen. Mitch McConnell, the former Senate majority leader. It was a curious move at the time, because 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 Paul indicated to the Biden White House at the time that he would block Meredith's confirmation proceedings from moving forward, so the former president never formally nominated him. Biden's decision to back off Meredith was also a relief to Democrats and abortion rights groups who had been enraged at the prospect of Biden tapping an anti-abortion lawyer for a lifetime judiciary seat. In a social media post announcing the nomination, Trump called 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,' Trump wrote on Truth Social Wednesday night. McConnell said in a statement Wednesday that Trump made an 'outstanding choice' in choosing 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,' McConnell said. 'I look forward to the Senate confirming his nomination.' Paul's office did not immediately return a request for comment Wednesday night on the nomination. Three years ago, Paul accused McConnell of cutting a 'secret deal' with the White House as a reason why Meredith's nomination never moved forward under 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,' Paul said at the time. Paul never made any substantive objections about Meredith himself. It's unclear whether Paul would hold similar process concerns with Meredith's formal nomination under Trump. But 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 Biden never ended up nominating 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, R-Iowa, has so far made no indication that he would deviate from that longstanding custom.
Reuters
2 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Trump taps Kentucky lawyer for judgeship after scrapped Biden nomination
WASHINGTON, June 18 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced his intent to nominate Chad Meredith to serve as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. He described Meredith, who previously served as Kentucky's solicitor general and has worked as a litigation attorney in Ohio since 2021, as "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," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. Meredith has held various roles in the legal field in Kentucky, including chief deputy general counsel for the state's governor. He also clerked for a judge serving on the same circuit he's being nominated to, according to his LinkedIn page. U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell, who represents Kentucky, praised Trump's decision to nominate Meredith to the bench. He called him "an outstanding choice" with a stellar resume and distinguished record of public service. During his first administration, Trump vetted Meredith for a judicial nomination but later dropped him from consideration, according to The Courier-Journal. Joe Biden, who succeeded Trump as president, also considered nominating Meredith, who has defended abortion restrictions, but he decided against doing so after progressives and abortion-rights supporters came out strongly against the nominee. Trump has so far announced 12 judicial nominees in his second term, after securing Senate confirmation in his first term of 234 judicial nominees.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump taps Kentucky lawyer for judgeship after scrapped Biden nomination
By Jasper Ward WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced his intent to nominate Chad Meredith to serve as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. He described Meredith, who previously served as Kentucky's solicitor general and has worked as a litigation attorney in Ohio since 2021, as "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," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. Meredith has held various roles in the legal field in Kentucky, including chief deputy general counsel for the state's governor. He also clerked for a judge serving on the same circuit he's being nominated to, according to his LinkedIn page. U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell, who represents Kentucky, praised Trump's decision to nominate Meredith to the bench. He called him "an outstanding choice" with a stellar resume and distinguished record of public service. During his first administration, Trump vetted Meredith for a judicial nomination but later dropped him from consideration, according to The Courier-Journal. Joe Biden, who succeeded Trump as president, also considered nominating Meredith, who has defended abortion restrictions, but he decided against doing so after progressives and abortion-rights supporters came out strongly against the nominee. Trump has so far announced 12 judicial nominees in his second term, after securing Senate confirmation in his first term of 234 judicial nominees.
Washington Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Republicans ignore their own age issues in pursuit of Biden's frailty
One political party nominated a 78-year-old candidate for president last summer with a history of obscuring his health. The same party kept in place an octogenarian congressional leader until earlier this year, despite health battles. And that party just elevated a 91-year-old to a constitutional leadership position third in the line of presidential succession. Must be Democrats, right? No, that lineup comes from Republicans: President Donald Trump, who turns 79 this weekend; Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), 83, who stepped down as GOP leader in January; and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the Senate's president pro tempore who chairs the Judiciary Committee. While Democrats are undergoing a bruising internal debate about generational change, Republicans have shown little appetite for a similar discussion. They don't want to talk about elderly politicians, just Biden's cognitive state. 'This isn't an age issue,' Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri) said Thursday. 'I don't think this is so much about age as it's about cognitive ability,' Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) also said Thursday. Schmitt, 49, and Cornyn, 73, are co-chairing an 'unfit to serve' hearing Wednesday before the Judiciary Committee examining how much Biden's senior aides concealed his condition. In less partisan times, senators might have used this moment to launch a sober discussion about creating transparent health and cognitive tests to ensure future presidents do not face similar allegations. 'I think for the country moving forward, it's important to understand how this could happen, or how this would have happened, and make sure it never happens again,' Schmitt said in a brief interview. But such a bipartisan effort is not likely when Republicans will not acknowledge any potential health risks for Trump, who is slated to turn 82 during his final year in office. 'This is really about Joe Biden, a man who was clearly incompetent,' Schmitt said. 'Some people like President Trump operate on all cylinders at 79, where Biden obviously was incapacitated,' Cornyn said. The former president, who was diagnosed last month with cancer, has denied that he was unfit to serve or that senior aides were running the government. But post-presidency books have revealed that Biden's mental state had clearly gotten worse over the four-year term, alleging that only a few senior aides and family members were fully aware of his condition. Democrats have responded to Biden's withdrawal from the race last July and Trump's subsequent victory in November with a furious debate about the standing of their party's elder statesmen. House Democrats pushed aside three committee leaders who were all over 75 years old in favor of younger lawmakers. And next week they will elect a new ranking member for the Oversight Committee, with a pair of second-term Democrats challenging two 70-somethings for the post. Sen. Dick Durbin (Illinois), the No. 2 Democratic leader for 20 years, announced he would retire at the end of next year. The leading candidate to replace the 80-year-old is Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), who is 52. Outside liberal activists have pledged to force older Democrats into primaries next year against next-generation challengers. Any similar look in the mirror by Republicans is not in the offing. Yes, after 18 years as leader, McConnell stepped aside in January after a bad fall in 2023 caused several other health incidents. The new majority leader, 64-year-old Sen. John Thune (R-South Dakota), is middle-aged by Senate standards. But of the five senators who are at least 80 years old, three are Republican: Grassley, McConnell and James E. Risch (Idaho). McConnell, who is retiring the end of next year, now chairs the subcommittee in charge of almost $1 trillion in defense spending. Risch, 82, chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and announced in early April that he is running again for a term that will end when he is 89. Grassley has remained resilient despite being 91 and is an active committee chair. But by electing him as pro tem — a mostly honorific position — Republicans placed him in line to succeed Trump, creating the possibility of a nonagenarian president at a moment of national crisis if the vice president and House speaker are not able to serve. Cornyn, who is around the same age as Biden was at the end of his vice presidency in January 2017, is running for another term that, if reelected, would end when he is just shy of 81. The average Senate Democrat, at the start of this new Congress, was 66, compared to 64.5 for a Republican, according to a Pew Research study. In the House, there's no partisan difference: The average Democrat is 57.6 years old, 57.5 for Republicans, according to Pew. By later this year, after three younger Democrats are sworn in to replace three lawmakers who died in their 70s recently, their caucus will likely be a little younger than the House GOP. That's a remarkable shift considering, until two-and-a-half years ago, the image of the Democratic caucus was three 80-somethings in the top leadership posts. Until last summer, when she entered a senior living home and missed most of her final months in office, Kay Granger (R-Texas) chaired the House Appropriations Committee and oversaw its $1.7 trillion pot for federal agencies. When Rep. Virginia Foxx (North Carolina) reached the end of her term atop the education committee, House GOP leaders installed her as chair of the critical House Rules Committee. She turns 82 in two weeks. Some younger Republicans are not surprised by the head-down approach from senior Republicans in Washington. 'That's because most people are older, they don't want to talk about it,' said Rep. Wesley Hunt (R), a 43-year-old who is considering entering the race for Cornyn's seat. GOP primary voters are also itching to find new blood, Hunt said. 'There is a national conversation, I think, that's being held for younger candidates, period. And I think that's happening on both sides of the aisle.' But in a party where fealty to Trump is so critical — and securing his endorsement is considered crucial for winning a primary — Hunt talks about the president as if Trump is half his actual age. Hunt said his own travels with Trump showed that the president is 'an anomaly' who faces no health risks. 'His mental acuity and his ability to operate is unlike anything I've ever seen before,' Hunt said. Schmitt used similar bravado. 'I was just with President Trump. I played golf with President Trump. President Trump has more energy than most 21-year-olds,' he said. In his first term as president, Trump revealed less about his health than past presidents. A book by a senior aide revealed that Trump tested positive for covid days before his late September 2020 debate with Biden, but did not disclose it after getting conflicting test results. His fight with the virus in early October 2020 was much more serious than aides ever revealed. In a rare rebuke among presidential physicians, Barack Obama's White House doctor criticized Biden's doctor for not administering a cognitive test on the then-president. But Jeffrey Kuhlman, Obama's White House physician, went a step further in a book last year by specifically calling for neurocognitive tests for all national leaders over the age of 70. In a health report released this spring, Trump's doctors did perform a neurological exam. Durbin, who has said that upon reflection Biden should not have tried to run for reelection, accused the genial Cornyn of using Wednesday's hearing as a bid to appeal to conservative voters rather than a serious debate about presidential health. 'I think this has more to do with John Cornyn's primary challenge than anything else,' Durbin said. 'He has to show a fiery demeanor, so he's decided to pick on Joe Biden.' Cornyn rejected that accusation. 'Well, he must be clairvoyant if he knows what information we're going to gather beforehand,' he said. He grew angry after a question about whether the hearing would include issues related to Trump, accusing The Washington Post and the press of a broad conspiracy to benefit Biden. 'As far as I'm concerned, you're part of the conspiracy,' Cornyn said. Durbin said the real conspiracy is age, something that comes for everyone eventually, but in uneven ways. 'I think we all have to face the reality that age is unrelenting,' he said. 'It treats some people more kindly than others.'
