Discussion: Trump Says He Did Not Ask Kavanaugh About Abortion

system1 · July 10, 2018, 12:47pm

Trump Says He Did Not Ask Kavanaugh About Abortion Back to article

candirue · July 10, 2018, 12:48pm

Time for the inevitable “Sure, Jan” GIF.

j.dave · July 10, 2018, 12:52pm

The Supreme Court’s holding in Roe v. Wade is binding precedent and can’t be overturned.

In the Second Circuit, that is. Or any other lower court. Because they are lower courts.

But in the Supreme Court itself…

Need you ask? Apparently not.

maximus · July 10, 2018, 12:54pm

And there was no collusion with Russia either, right Dotard?

old_curmudgeon · July 10, 2018, 12:55pm

Given that everything tRump says is a lie…

riverstreet · July 10, 2018, 12:57pm

President Trump lies all the time, particularly when he repeats himself:

“No, I haven’t, I really haven’t,”

reggid · July 10, 2018, 12:57pm

That’s because they spent the whole time talking about Presidential immunity.

docd · July 10, 2018, 12:59pm

Traditionally this is when he says “believe me.”
Any word on if he asked for a loyalty pledge?

darrtown · July 10, 2018, 12:59pm

Hey trump, did’ja ask if he was a judge and had some legal experience? Or did’ja just look to see if “he looked the part” like on your stupid TV show.

theuniversalexecutive · July 10, 2018, 1:01pm

45’s not too good in the vetting department, so the “shadow state” made sure the right kind of guy was chosen by giving him no choice.

dougsanders · July 10, 2018, 1:05pm

jbaur · July 10, 2018, 1:06pm

But we assume he’s lying.

bradbennett · July 10, 2018, 1:06pm

Oh FFS!

He didn’t need to ask about Roe v. Wade - his choices from the Federalist cabal were thouroghly pre-vetted. They know exactly what he will do and how he will vote on any subject of concern to conservatives. There will be no surprises from this guy. He’s made.

These games are so childish. But those are the only games that conservatives are really good at, so…

And I don’t wish to appear anti-religious (though I am) but do we really need another Catholic white guy on the court?

cinfl · July 10, 2018, 1:17pm

Il is this the new don’t ask don’t tell?

george_c · July 10, 2018, 1:21pm

Exactly. Between the Federalist Society and the Heritage Foundation, anybody on the list sent to Trump is a known quantity. I can hear Sean Hannity going apoplectic if Obama had relied upon the ACLU and Planned Parenthood to send him a list of “beautiful and excellent” candidates for the Court.

nemo · July 10, 2018, 1:22pm

I had an exceedingly illuminating conversation with a senior attorney from Planned Parenthood last night. Several points have stuck with me.

She reckons that the SC may not overturn Roe v Wade. They’ll simply permit its aggressive erosion by one appeal after another.
Roe v Wade is in any case an almost fictional precedent in many of our states, where, after Casey was decided, access to abortion has already been severely limited. In those places, overturning Roe v Wade would not make a huge amount of difference in practical terms.
The vivid scenarios involving coat hangers will not happen. Instead we’ll see the rise of medical abortion, i.e., using certain widely available medication (for the treatment of ulcers, for example) as a (pretty safe) abortive agent. Those parts of the country where abortion is unlawful will resemble (and in some cases already resemble) those parts of Latin America where abortion is similarly unlawful: a thriving black market in abortive and otherwise safe and lawful drugs will grow. Anyone who wishes to terminate an unwanted pregnancy will in all likelihood be able to do so. Of course, the criminalization of the act would bring severe penalties into play–but the public tolerance, even in red states, for the draconian criminalization of taking medication to end a first trimester pregnancy is far from clear.

I found it all somewhat reassuring. The GOP may win on overturning Roe v Wade (a shocking, scarcely credible outcome for so many of us) but (1) they’ve kind of already won; (2) it hasn’t made that much difference given the rise in medical abortion; and (3) it will reduce the electoral potency of the issue for the GOP and increase its potency for Democrats.

marknc · July 10, 2018, 1:23pm

Well, for once, I believe something Trump said is actually.

Trump knew before meeting Kavanaugh that he was anti-abortion - no need to ask.

brutus1910 · July 10, 2018, 1:27pm

“President Donald Trump told reporters on Tuesday that he has not asked his Supreme Court pick, who will replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy, about his views on abortion.”

Maybe, but he DID ask Kavanaugh for his complete loyalty in all matters before the Supreme Court.

greysea · July 10, 2018, 1:28pm

True, but in this case he didn’t have to. Everyone on his list had already been asked that question by the right wing ‘think’ thanks that put it together.

eta (as pretty much everyone above me has pointed out already)

smiley · July 10, 2018, 1:29pm

We absolutely need a Democratic senator to ask if trump demanded a loyalty pledge from Kavanaugh. Without Sen. Franken, I’m not hopeful.