Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) on Wednesday expressed gratitude for being included on President Trump’s updated list of potential Supreme Court nominees, stating there is “no greater responsibility in public service than to support and defend the Constitution of the United States” and calling Trump’s inclusion of him on the list “humbling and an immense honor.”
President Trump updated his list of potential Supreme Court nominees on Wednesday, which included active conservative politicians including Sens. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Josh Hawley (R-MO), and Ted Cruz (R-TX).
“I am grateful for the president’s confidence in me and for his leadership in nominating principled constitutionalists to the federal bench over the last four years,” Cruz said in a statement following Trump’s announcement.
He continued:
As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I’ve been proud to help confirm to the bench over 200 of President Trump’s judicial nominees, including two to the Supreme Court. It’s humbling and an immense honor to be considered for the Supreme Court. The High Court plays a unique role in defending our Constitution, and there is no greater responsibility in public service than to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. In the Senate, I have been blessed to lead the fight to preserve our constitutional liberties — every day, to defend the rights of 29 million Texans — and I look forward to continuing to do so for many years to come.
It's humbling and an immense honor to be considered for #SCOTUS.
Read my statement here on @realDonaldTrump’s list of potential Supreme Court nominees he announced today he might choose from in a second term.👇 pic.twitter.com/oOjuCHSs80
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) September 9, 2020
Sen. Hawley also expressed gratitude but explicitly stated that he has “no interest in the high court”:
I appreciate the President’s confidence in listing me as a potential Supreme Court nominee. But as I told the President, Missourians elected me to fight for them in the Senate, and I have no interest in the high court. I look forward to confirming constitutional conservatives
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) September 9, 2020
Like Cruz, Sen. Cotton did not reject the prospect, stating that he will “always heed the call of service to our nation”:
The Supreme Court could use some more justices who understand the difference between applying the law and making the law, which the Court does when it invents a right to an abortion, infringes on religious freedom, and erodes the Second Amendment.
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) September 9, 2020
Trump’s list included Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron (R), Florida Supreme Court Justice Carlos Muñiz, and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Stuart Kyle Duncan.
“Every one of these individuals will ensure equal justice, equal treatment, and equal rights for citizens of every race, color, religion, and creed,” Trump said on Wednesday.
Trump’s update comes as the presidential election clock continues to tick down. All eyes have been on Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who has been undergoing chemotherapy to treat a recurrence of cancer. However, she has exhibited no signs of retiring from the high court.
“I have often said I would remain a member of the Court as long as I can do the job full steam,” the justice said in a July statement, revealing the diagnosis. “I remain fully able to do that.”
While Democrats have warned Trump against filling a potential Supreme Court vacancy ahead of the 2020 election, Trump said he would “absolutely” do it.
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