Conservative group Judicial Crisis Network released a new advertisement supporting President Donald Trump’s list of possible nominees to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court.
The ad, entitled #AnotherGreatJustice, is a seven-figure ad buy intended to pressure liberal senators to support Trump’s eventual nominee. Trump’s prior nominee, Neil Gorsuch, faced stiff opposition but was confirmed with Democratic Sens. Joe Donnelly (Ind.), Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.), and Joe Manchin (W.Va.) voting with Republicans.
According to JCN’s ad, Trump is set to appoint "the best of the best" onto the Court.
"President Trump has proven he wants the best of the best on the Supreme Court. He appointed Neil Gorsuch, a fair and independent justice committed to the Constitution," the ad says. "Now there is another opening, a chance to appoint another great justice."
"Like they did before, extremists will lie and attack the nominee," the ad says, showing Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.), Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D., Calif.), Sen. Bernie Sanders, (I., Vt.), and others.
"But don’t be fooled, Trump’s list includes the best of the best, and with your help American will get another star on the Supreme Court," the ad concludes.
Trump released a list of potential Supreme Court nominees during the election, pledging to appoint only originalist and textualist judges to the Supreme Court. So far, conservative legal thinkers have praised not just Gorsuch, but the others on Trump’s updated list as well as most of his federal appointees.
Leonard Leo, Federalist Society executive vice president and Trump’s outside adviser on judicial nominations, said Kennedy leaves a legacy of contribution to the Court’s "conservative jurisprudence."
"Justice Kennedy is a most dedicated public servant, having served on the High Court for over thirty years," Leo said. "He has cared deeply about the relationship between the Constitution and individual liberty, and played a key role in helping to shape the Supreme Court's conservative jurisprudence in the areas of campaign finance and the First Amendment, gun rights and the Second Amendment, the separation of powers and federalism, and reasonable restrictions on abortion, such as the partial birth abortion ban."