Donald Trump's Next Nomination to the Supreme Court?

The Senate confirms an Apellate Court judge who doesn't believe in the rule of law.

Senate Judiciary Committee photo via Wikimedia Commons.

Donald Trump has won again. His nominee for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate. The judge, Emil Bove, is 44 years old. He could serve on the court for another 30-40 years. Or, more likely, he could be nominated for the next open seat on the U.S. Supreme Court should one be vacated while Donald Trump is President. That is cause for major alarm.

Bove’s nomination was opposed by every Democrat in the U.S. Senate after dozens of prosecutors wrote in opposition to the nomination and whistleblowers came forth to detail Bove’s role in several controversial actions. These actions included dismissing criminal charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams, firing prosecutors involved in bringing criminal charges against the January 6 insurrectionists, and suggesting that the government defy court orders obstructing the Trump administration’s mass deportations of undocumented migrants.

Bove is a relatively new face of MAGA. He gained prominence by serving as one of President Trump’s defense attorneys in the Mar-A-Lago documents and election interference cases. In both, Bove proved his extreme loyalty to Trump. That loyalty may soon earn him a nomination to the Supreme Court.

Donald Trump understands the problems an independent judiciary—one that acts like a co-equal branch of government—can create for an administration trying to remake America on an expedited basis can cause. The lifetime appointment soon-to-be Judge Bove was confirmed for is an important step forward in Trump’s plan to exert control over the judiciary in much the same way he currently controls Congress.

And what are we to make of the 50 Senate Republicans who voted for the nomination? Senators Collins (ME) and Murkowski (AK) voted “no,” but don’t any of the other Republicans care about the rule of law? Are they really okay with confirming Bove after he told subordinates that it is sometimes okay to ignore court orders?

Since before dawn, I have been reading more about Bove. I don’t like what I am reading. I recommend the Washington Post article linked above, as well as those in Roll Call and Politico.