Sen. Jeff Flake Threatens To Block Trump’s Judicial Nominees

Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) said that a few Republican Senators are ready to not approve any more Trump’s judicial nominees until they get a vote on tariffs.

Video:

Transcript via ABC’s This Week:

To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Are you prepared to use your other powers to do that? I know that you considered, at least on this issue of tariffs and a couple of other issues, saying that as a member of the Judiciary Committee, you will no longer allow judges to come out of the committee unless there’s action on issues like tariffs.

FLAKE: Well, as George Will put it in his column, Article Three branch is important, the courts, certainly. And we approved a number of judges. That is important. But Article One, the Congress, Article Two, the executive are important as well. And I do think that unless we can actually exercise something other than just approving the president’s executive calendar, his nominees, judges, that we have no reason to be there. So I think myself and a number of Senators, at least a few of us, will stand up and say let’s not move any more judges until we get a vote, for example, on tariffs.

File this one under I’ll believe it when I see it

Republicans are so terrified of Trump that it is impossible to believe even for a second that they would block his judicial nominees to get a vote on tariffs. Trump has the Republican base wrapped around his finger. He has remade what is left of the Republican Party in his own image. It is impossible to see any Senate Republicans outside of those who are retiring defying Trump and blocking his judicial nominees.

Flake was correct on one point. The Congress has become a do-nothing branch of government. Under Republicans, the House and Senate no longer pass legislation. They are a rubber stamp for Trump nominees and a roadblock to the Russia investigation.

Republicans would first have to grow a spine if they were ever going to stand up to Trump and block his judicial nominees.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association