Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” when asked about President Donald Trump’s tweet calling the judge who temporarily halted his executive order restricting travel from seven Muslim-majority countries a “so-called judge,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) said it had “been a pattern with the president” to attack the judiciary.
Partial transcript as follows:
STEPHANOPOULOS: You also opposed the president’s executive order suspending that travel from the seven Muslim nations.Do you think that that will stand when it gets through the courts?And what do you make of the president’s tweet yesterday, talking about “that so-called judge”?
KLOBUCHAR: Well, first of all, it’s not a surprise to me that you’re seeing a number of courts across the country look at this and, in various ways, either temporarily staying it or, in the case of the Seattle judge, actually saying that it should be thrown out. That is because it was done in a way — I think my friend, Republican Senator Rob Portman said it best — the vetting order wasn’t vetted. There is a difference between being bold and being rash. And when you put out an order that basically suspends the refugee program, not just in those countries but in every country in the world, when you put out an order that you have not worked with businesses or with your professionals in the security area, when you have done it, I don’t think it’s a surprise there’s going to be court challenges or that you’re going to have chaos, which is what we have seen all over the United States.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Senator Schumer says the president’s questioning as to the legitimacy of that judge is going to impact the confirmation of Judge Gorsuch for the Supreme Court. Do you agree?
KLOBUCHAR: Well, first of all, this has been a pattern with the president. He attacked Judge Curiel during the course of his campaign on the Trump University case. He attacked the acting attorney general. And he’s got to see that there are three equal branches of government here. And so when he attacks the independence of the judiciary, I think it does focus on the fight before us now. And that is that we want to see a nominee that is independent, not just of a president but is not making decisions based on ideology but instead making decisions based on precedent.
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
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