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Ellison Still Believes Gorsuch Is an 'Illegitimate' Supreme Court Justice

August 11, 2017

Rep. Keith Ellison (D., Minn.) on Friday told the crowd at the annual "Netroots Nation" convention in Atlanta, Ga. that he still believes Neil Gorsuch is an "illegitimate" Supreme Court justice.

Ellison, the deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee, participated in a paneled discussion about intersectionality in politics and the media, in addition to pushing back against smears from Republicans during campaigns.

"It is critical at this moment that we understand that Representative Democracy itself is under assault," Ellison said. "It still freaks me out that Trump has attacked the media so much. I mean as bad as they are, they're not good enough for him."

Ellison claimed President Donald Trump was systematically going after the independence of the Judiciary.

"I said the other day that I thought that Neil Gorsuch was an illegitimate justice," Ellison said. "I had a great progressive come up to me and say, 'Oh don't say that, that's what they say.'"

"I said,'No, wait a minute. This guy escaped every rule that you're supposed to go through to become a Supreme Court Justice.' How is he legit? Do not repeat the other side's talking point," Ellison added.

This is not the first time that Ellison has voiced his opposition to Gorsuch, as he castigated him on Twitter.

The Senate voted back in April to confirm Gorsuch to be the next Supreme Court Justice after an intensely partisan debate  during his confirmation hearings and on the Senate floor.

In a 54 to 45 vote, the Senate confirmed Trump's nominee to the nation's highest court. Gorsuch filled the seat of the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who unexpectedly passed away last February.