judge gorsuch according to senator blumen that will said it was disheartening and demoralizing. the president referred to the judge out of washington state. interesting to note that the white house is not denying this. the white house spokesperson who was handling judge gorsuch's case. his movements up on capitol hill said no, those are the words that judge gorsuch used. consider this. chuck schumer and the minority leader also heard similar remarks. but senator schumer's office issued a statement for not going further in condemning the president for his remarks. you sort of get the outlines for the political dynamics that may be emerging during his confirmation hearing. he may be pressed further as to why he is not going further and condemning the president for going after the judges handling the case. >> we are expected to talk to senator blumenthal any minute. we want to get a firsthand account about how the conversation transpired. jim, just be clear. you are saying them to confirm that the senator said this. when he was asked by cnn. did the judge say it was demoralizing an

even after senator richard blue men thal said wednesday -- blumen thal that judge gorsich criticized the president. >> he said to me that he finds disheartening and demoralizing, the repeated, abhorrent attack by the president of the united states on the independence of the judiciary. >> the conversation has sparked a war of words between senator blue men thal. who says judge gorgten's comments were taken out of the context. >> his comments were misrepresented. but ben said the judge was talking about a tweet from president trump. in it, the president called a washington judge, a hold. >> he got emotional because he said any attack or any criticism of his brothers and sisters of the robe is an attack or criticism on everybody wearing the robe as a judge. >> judge gorsich continues to meet with senators ahead of confirmation hearings. weijia jiang, cbs news, the white house. >>> the judge has not commented on the controversy. but senate minority leader said he should, in order to prove his independence from the president. >>> jeff sessions has been sworn in as attorney general. presid

scott blumen, chief political correspondent for abc news owned by sinclair broadcasting and caitlyn collins the white house correspondent for the daily caller a conservative website. people are going to be saying well those are the questions that the white house -- those are the questioners the white house decided to call on for this moment. >> i think they did it at the last press conference, with abe. and this is a clear strategy of the white house, to downgrade the influence of the so-called mainstream media who might be asking the questions about our national security adviser, the future of your national security adviser, perhaps asking about north korea. perhaps asking about some other questions and putting these other people up front and limiting the scope of what is going to be asked at a press event. it's clear that the president wants to do that because he was annoyed last time when somebody went off topic. and he said it. and so i think there is one person that people in the white house listen to, and that's the president of the united states. so i think this is his response to wh

. >> senator blumen that will. >> durbin madeous about that.re they will pressure democratic senators to hold the line. there's going to be an effort to pressure them to say you must vote for him. go back to what chuck todd said the night of the nomination, he will be persuasive. the human element can't be underestimated. i think some of them may feel he deserves a chance. there's cross pressure on the democrats. it's going to be intention. >> mayor garlin didn't get the courtesy calls from the republicans. >> he was not an extreme pick at all. >> they are out for blood on this one. it will be seen as a betrayal to many democrats if a democratic senator votes for this choice. >> the republicans are pressuring saying it should be done in 60 or 75 days. this may sit for a while where mcconnell does not want to exercise the nuclear option and the democrats don't give him the 60 votes he needs. there may be a stand off and they have to look for a resolution. >> still ahead on "morning joe," no more outspoken advocate for bob corker. we'll get the s