Well, this would be a revolting development.
Disgraced Judge Andrew Napolitano, currently on suspension from Fox News, has been telling associates that Trump promised him the next Supreme Court seat “if I get another one.” According to Napolitano, Trump told him this after one of his many meetings with Trump.
Politico asked the White House directly if there was any truth to this, but White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders declined to comment, saying it was a personnel matter.
Friends of Napolitano think Trump is just lying to him, and Politico said people "who are familiar with the president's thinking" dismiss the idea. Given the abysmal credibility of both men, this could certainly be the case.
However, there are a few things to consider:
- First of all, there is no one on the planet who knows what Trump is thinking. He lives in his own reality.
- Second, I do believe Trump is both stupid enough and vindictive enough to put a 9/11 conspiracy nut on the Court. Being a disgraced liar isn’t seen as a flaw in Trump’s administration—that's considered a requirement.
- Third, Donald does love him some Judge. He consults with him regularly and defended him as a "talented legal mind" during his press conference with the German leader.
- Fourth, he meets all qualifications: blind loyalty and ... well, that's pretty much it.
- Finally, if Trump were to do something that stupid, I have almost no faith that the mythical "reasonable Republicans" in the Senate would stop him.
That last one deserves more explanation: there are more sniveling Ted Cruz types than John McCain types—and even McCain has capitulated every single time it has mattered. Don’t tell me they wouldn’t sell their souls to add an extremist wingnut to SCOTUS: they already sold their souls by refusing to speak out against Trump. Also keep in mind the possibility that the GOP will add to their ranks in the Senate after 2018—the map is brutal with Dems having to play defense on a boatload of Senate seats.
I learned a long time ago not to count on Florida to do the right thing, and incoming freshman Senator Rick Scott would vote yes on a Justice Alex Jones if he was told to do so.
Yes, it likely that one or both men are probably lying, and there are over a million reasons why Judge Napolitano will never live to become Justice Napolitano, but all of those reasons require rational thought—none of which is in much supply within the GOP these days.