now we know it's neil gorsuch.oing to someone else equally conservative? the republicans were going to be happy with any of the finalists. they were all acceptable to the vast majority of republicans. the debate among republicans was which one was the most conservative. they really weren't sure. many of them picked gorsuch because his mother actually served in ronald reagan's cabinet and was very conservative and actually had to resign for various reasons, she was the head of the epa. they are familiar with the gorsuch family and they believe he will uphold the family tradition. larry sbata, we thank you for your time and we appreciate your reaction to the breaking news that donald trump has appointed neil gorsuch. —— sabato. trump has appointed neil gorsuch. —— sa bato. let's listen trump has appointed neil gorsuch. —— sabato. let's listen to the moment donald trump made the announcement. i took the task of this nomination very seriously. i have selected an individual whose qualities define really, and i mean clos

why is gorsuch the right to judge?he is a brilliant writer, he has a strict constructionist, he doesn't believe that judges are to make it up on the fly. they shouldn't legislate from the bench. and that is the kind of judge i think people would like to have in a position like that, not somebody who has cut favorites or plays favorites in trying to reach decisions to reinforce their political biases. this guy is a truly outstanding choice. >> bret: house minority leader nancy pelosi was just on air a short time ago, and she said this about the appointment. >> it is a very hostile opponen opponent, well meant, lovely family, i'm sure, but as far as your family is concerned, if you breathe the air, drink water, take medicine, or in any other way to interact with the court, this is a very bad decision. while outside the mainstream of american legal thought. not committed to supreme court precedent. >> bret: went into great detail about women's issues and other issues as well. >> well, it's not the justices drop to play fa

in fact, i -- gorsuch. in fact, there was a report that at judge gorsuch, then neil gorsuch when he was nominated to the tenth circuit court, his confirmation hearing only had a few people attended. i think lindsey graham was one of the senators to attend his confirmation hearing. i believe senator leahy, our colleague from vermont submitted questions for the record. but very few people attended his confirmation hearing because of the high kal better and -- caliber and high quality of the nomination. he had praise from salazar that he is fair. judge gorsuch is an faithful defender of the constitution. and has the temperament to serve on the highest court. judge tpwoeufp recognizes that the -- gorsuch recognizes that the supreme court is not a place for experimentation and efforts. as i said, this overweaning addiction to the courtroom is bad for the country and bad for the judiciary. as a society we lose the benefit of the give and take of the political process and the flexibility of social experimentation

but judge gorsuch and a protestant. let's go to john dickerson on the set of "face the nation" in washington furst. john, what's at stake for the trump administration with this nomination? >> well, what was at stake, the biggest prize for conservatives, and i was talking to a republican just before this announcement who said, you know, there have been some concern about whether donald trump is listening to his allies in washington. but on this question, he istened. he's picked somebody who conservatives really like, and this sends a big signal to them on the-- one of the most important things that conservatives care about. why? because of control of the course court. there will be a conservative majority. of course not on every issue, but by and large. but also that judge gorsuch will be there for a long time, long after donald trump leaves the presidency. so that's why that is so important. and going back to major's point about mitch mcconnell on the night antonin scalia passed away or that it was announced, donald tru

the more they try to put daylight between gorsuch and trump -- that helps gorsuch look better, but if it makes trump looked bad then democrats count that as a win. >> how can he prepare for these hearings? >> typically there are these "murder boards" at the white house where he is asked about every potential issue you might he asked about. they've been talking about some of the answers that judge gorsuch might give to some questions that are put forward. that is usually a process they will go through. as jeff points out, there are some very specific questions that will be rising such as trump's travel ban executive order especially as a new one is trump travel ban may be in the throes of litigation again. you can imagine that discussion will make its way to hearings. >> do you think there will be a democrats at support these arenations? >> democrats looking for what they want their base to do. they know they can't win. they want to lose in a way that the possibility of a filibuster at the tail end of the trump administration, or do they just want to show their followers, their constit

gorsuch, judge gorsuch has shown disdain for the use of the courtroom to vindicate fundamental rights, a viewpoint that should be anathema to anyone in the legal system but is particularly inappropriate for somebody who seeks a seat on the highest court in the land. because of this, women are duly worried about the preservation of their rights and equality, as is the lgbt community. with an administration that has already challenged fundamental american rights and will do so again, the courtroom must be a place where those rights can be vindicated. as senators, we are endowed with an awesome power to judge whether this man, judge gorsuch, has the right to a title that is higher than all the others in our judicial system, the title of justice. therefore, we must be absolutely certain that this person is a strong, mainstream candidate who has respect for rule of law in the application of basic constitutional rights to all americans, a deference to precedent, a nonideological approach to the court and the resolve to be a bulwark against the constitutional encroaches of this administratio

why is gorsuch the right to judge?he is a brilliant writer, he has a strict constructionist, he doesn't believe that judges are to make it up on the fly. they shouldn't legislate from the bench. and that is the kind of judge i think people would like to have in a position like that, not somebody who has cut favorites or plays favorites in trying to reach decisions to reinforce their political biases. this guy is a truly outstanding choice. >> bret: house minority leader nancy pelosi was just on air a short time ago, and she said this about the appointment. >> it is a very hostile opponen opponent, well meant, lovely family, i'm sure, but as far as your family is concerned, if you breathe the air, drink water, take medicine, or in any other way to interact with the court, this is a very bad decision. while outside the mainstream of american legal thought. not committed to supreme court precedent. >> bret: went into great detail about women's issues and other issues as well. >> well, it's not the justices drop to play fa

neil gorsuch will match that. but in addition to that, what makes neil gorsuch unusual is that he wants to dismantle the difference that courts have typically played the federal agencies. it is a very technical issue but it is also very important. it goes to whether or not when the people elected -- elect the democratic president, that democratic president is going to be able to protect the environment, to protect workers, to make wages go up, or whether they will be at the mercy of a republican-controlled court. so his primary agenda is to shift power toward the judiciary at the very moment that the republican party is consolidating its control over the judiciary. and i think that leads to very dangerous places. amy: he has been hailed as a man who is deeply. i'd, a great writer, a classmate of presidentnt obama a at harvad law school. this, across the spectrum, your thoughts? >> he is a very smart guy. to some extent, that is what makes him dangerous. this is someone who is going to a great precision, great inte

why is gorsuch the right to judge?he is a brilliant writer, he has a strict constructionist, he doesn't believe that judges are to make it up on the fly. they shouldn't legislate from the bench. and that is the kind of judge i think people would like to have in a position like that, not somebody who has cut favorites or plays favorites in trying to reach decisions to reinforce their political biases. this guy is a truly outstanding choice. >> bret: house minority leader nancy pelosi was just on air a short time ago, and she said this about the appointment. >> it is a very hostile opponen opponent, well meant, lovely family, i'm sure, but as far as your family is concerned, if you breathe the air, drink water, take medicine, or in any other way to interact with the court, this is a very bad decision. while outside the mainstream of american legal thought. not committed to supreme court precedent. >> bret: went into great detail about women's issues and other issues as well. >> well, it's not the justices drop to play fa

i still think the issue really, despite all the attention to gorsuch, is not about gorsuch. it's really about garland and how did democrats extract, if they can't get a pound of flesh for what was done to garland, an ounce of flesh or a speck of flesh over that. it is a combination of that issue and this question of what happens for the next nominee. >> what can we expect when that gavel comes down for the judiciary committee? on march 20? >> i think for the republicans it will be a complete lovefest for judge gorsuch. the democrats are still trying to figure out what to do because they don't have the votes to stop him. if they invoke a filibuster, the odds are very strong that the republicans will eliminate the procedure and put him on the ourt anyway. i think as josh said, it will be very much not about judge gorsuch but about judge garland. even more so, i think it will be about president trump. i think the democrats will see judge gorsuch as an opportunity to bring up many of the things that trump has said and done and put gorsuch on the spot as to whether he would suppo

the more they can try to put daylight between gorsuch and trump -- that maybe health gorsuch look -- helps gorsuch look better, but if it makes trump looked bad then democrats count that as a way. >> how can he prepare for these hearings? >> yes to be prepared for all these kind of questions. they are typically called "murder boards" at the white house where he is asked about every type of question. they've been talking about some of the answers that judge gorsuch might give to some questions put forward. that is typically the process they will go through. there areints out, some very specific questions that will be rising such as president trump's travel ban executive order especially as a new one is in the throes of being written. that thatly imagine kind of discussion will make its way into that hearing whether he wants to answer questions about that or not. >> at least a democrats need to align with the 52 republicans in the senate. do you think there will be at least eight democrats who support his nomination? >> i think the democrats are looking very closely at what their base

first reaction to neil gorsuch? >> thanks for letting this nonlawyer join the lawyer margarita party. [laughter] listen, i want to talk about this. i want to echo what jay sekulow said. the president who was supposed to be this carnival barker, this tv guy, this barbarian, what dignity and grace! it wasn't about him, it was alla about judge gorsuch, it was a great moment for donald trump. for those of us who went through this campaign and i know you did, we sweat blood a lot of the time, people said what are the arguments? >> sean: i would do that again in a heartbeat. >> i would say the supreme court. people would say cynically, the roman emperor caligula, he will appoint his sister or some joker. well, he appointed neil gorsuch. end of story, end of case. there is the argument for the president of united states right here. this guy will serve 25 or 30 amazing years. >> sean: we have been around politics a long time. i covered robert bork, clarence thomas, we have seen how ugly this process can be. we both know and

gorsuch. [applause] i can say with the utmost confidence, judge gorsuch is a worthy successor to justice antonin scalia. by the grace of god and with what i know will be the tireless efforts of everyone in this room i believe neil gorsuch will soon , take his seat as an associate justice on the supreme court of the united states. [applause] vice pres. pence: when you get down to it, judge gorsuch, plain and simple, is one of the most mainstream, respected, and exceptionally qualified supreme court nominees in american history. don't take my word for it. that was the conclusion of the american bar association in 2006. after president george w. bush nominated him to the tenth circuit court of appeals, the american bar association gave him the highest possible recommendation. and the united states senate agreed. only two months after his nomination, the senate confirmed him by a unanimous voice vote. and nearly a third of those senators on both sides of the aisle are still serving in the senate t

judge gorsuch should receive the same fair treatment.so this morning, the president met and the roosevelt room with representatives of outside groups to discuss george gorsuch's nomination including the national right to life group, paula white of the new destiny christian center, wayne lapierre of the national rifle association, concerned women of america, american values, one need at the national federation of an appended businesses, top of the united states chamber of commerce, grover, americans for tax reform, leonard leo, federalist elite my federalist society, susan b anthony list, and maura blackwell of leadership institute. president trump told the group that his decision on the supreme court court is among the most important decisions you will ever make as president. he praised judge gorsuch for his academic and professional achievements and lifelong devotion to the law. the attendees think the president for making such an inspired choice and for delivering what was, for many of them, their number one issue in the campaign. they

gorsuch, judge gorsuch has shown disdain for the use of the courtroom to vindicate fundamental rights, a viewpoint that should be anathema to anyone in the legal system but is particularly inappropriate for somebody who seeks a seat on the highest court in the land. because of this, women are duly worried about the preservation of their rights and equality, as is the lgbt community. with an administration that has already challenged fundamental american rights and will do so again, the courtroom must be a place where those rights can be vindicated. as senators, we are endowed with an awesome power to judge whether this man, judge gorsuch, has the right to a title that is higher than all the others in our judicial system, the title of justice. therefore, we must be absolutely certain that this person is a strong, mainstream candidate who has respect for rule of law in the application of basic constitutional rights to all americans, a deference to precedent, a nonideological approach to the court and the resolve to be a bulwark against the constitutional encroaches of this administratio

gorsuch, but i am ashamed on the republican side. senators should not till the seed after 10 months last year. that's not good for the country. i am very sad about republican senators. they are not sincere with the country. they should have told this post last year, not this year. >> anthony now in brooklyn, new york, on the republican line. go ahead, anthony. >> thanks for taking my call. i am a republican. i live in brooklyn, new york. i actually am also in my final year of law school. about what ach jurist should be and how the supreme court should be filled. i think whichever side you are on -- republican, independent, democrat, a jurist like mr. gorsuch is someone who either side of the aisle can really appreciate and that we should be commended president trump for selecting for the nomination. say or as john roberts, the chief justice, andd say that judges jurists are calling balls and strikes and not necessarily making decisions that they individually agree with, but that they think as a matter of law and under the doctrine an

by nominating judge neil gorsuch. >> i think judge gorsuch is a home run. >> i promise if i'm confirmedful you servant of the constitution and law us of this great country. >> it's a very hostile appointment. if you breathe air, drink water, eat food, take medicine or in any other way interact with the court. this is a very bad decision. >> are you going to use the nuclear option? >> well, let me just tell you, we're going to get this judge confirmed. >> isn't that answering it? >> we're going to get the judge confirmed. >> so you you would. >> we're goi

i think judge gorsuch is a home run. he is faithful to the constitution, following the law, protecting our bill rights and i think his record will yield a swift confirmation in the senate. >> reporter: you've seep the partisanship the last several days. is this thing jeff gorsuch can overcome? you have democrats holding up the nominee ace cross the president's cabinet picks. >> no doubts the democrats are engaged in unprecedented partisan obstruction. i hope they won't engage in that for the supreme court. i would suggest the democrats should apply the standard, what's changed from a decade ago when they were willing to confirm him then to the court of appeals? it is possible that democrats will choose to obstruct. there are some senate democrats who might be counted on to filibuster any supreme court nominee. >> reporter: what happens at that point? nuclear option? >> the democrats will not succeed in filibustering judge gorsuch. they may try but won't succeed. the senate will confirm a strong constitutionalist to repla

last night, the president nominated judge neil gorsuch. we in the senate have a to examinenal duty his record robustly, exhaustively, and comprehensively. we need to revise its consent if consent if weand see fit. we democrats will insist on a rigorous but fair process. there will be 60 votes for confirmation. anyone member can require it, many democrats already have. .t is the right thing to do on the subject is important -- as important as the supreme court nomination, bipartisanship should be essential. that is what 60 votes does. .hat is nothing new it was a varmint by each of president obama's nominations. in my mind, 60 votes is the appropriate way to go. whether there is a democratic president or republican president. democratic republican senate -- senate.lican because a 60 vote threshold is essential, those who say at the -- process ross is a that there are only two possible willts -- that the senate confirm this nominee or the republicans will use the nuclear option to confirm their choice are dead wrong. that is a false choice.

not judge gorsuch. he is going to basically take the laws that are passed by congress and then, rule whether they are constitutional or not because congress sometimes makes mistakes. then, when there is an argument about how to apply the law, he is going to rule in a traditional way, not in a progressive way. that is what we were talking about before the president took the mike. this is very important for everybody to understand. the progressive wing of the court, some say liberal, believes of the constitution evolves and is applied to what is happening in society at that time. example, abortion. the founding fathers would never, ever have put that into the constitution. yet, the supreme court did. they legalized abortion. that is one difference. a good difference for you to understand the mindset. the conservative traditional wing, of which anthony kennedy, who gorsuch clerked under, is in, says, no, we are going to go back to the intent of the founding fathers and the people who forged the constitutio

gorsuch. here are his room. [applause] vice pres. pence: thank you, all. and thank you, gene, for your great leadership of the federalist. give gene a round of applause. [applause] vice pres. pence: thank you for the warm introduction. to my friend, leonard leo, everybody, is in the house. [applause] vice pres. pence: ambassador gray, members of the federalist society, honored guests, it's a privilege to be with you. it's a privilege to be with you here in this place, and congress hall, at such a time as this in the life of our nation. i bring you greetings and i'm here today on behalf of the president of the united states of america, donald trump, who appreciates -- [applause] vice pres. pence: -- the federalist society and all that it stands for. it's truly humbling to be in this position and to be in this place today. thank all of you, members of the federalist society, or your support and work over the past year. it was quite a campaign but it has already been quite an administration, am i

they knew that judges gorsuch was on the case.e read all the briefs, cases, statutes cited in those briefs, he interpreted the law based on what it said, rather than what he wished it said. that's exactly the kind of judge we need and all of our courts and especially on supreme court. >> jenna: it's interesting to have that perspective. the editorial in "the new york times" saying he's going to be going for a stolen seat, that's what it continually is being repeated by the other side. what's your response to that? >> i understand that they wish that president obama have been able to get his nominee confirmed. i also understand that elections have consequences. this was a vacancy that arose during a presidential election year. i think it arose a few months before the country voted and decided who the next president would be. at the last election, and they also failed to grasp the majority in the senate. now president trump is put forward this nominee, he's next ordinary judge, i challenge any of them to read his opinions and find a

last night, the president nominated judge neil gorsuch. we in the senate have a to examinenal duty his record robustly, exhaustively, and comprehensively. we need to revise its consent if we see fit -- and

if the name gorsuch is unusual to him, his mother ann gorsuch was appointed e. pap.a. the administrator. >> the democrats would oppose anyone they think is out of the main stream. looking at what we know about judge gorsuch, is that an easy one for the democrats to block? >> in a normal political environment, i would say no. the antagonistic relationship that already seems to be between senate democrats and the trump white house. this should be a layup. he meets all the criteria. but i think this is going to be a noisy confirmation. it will get confirmed but it will be noisy. i have to say, i thought he made an incredible first impression and i think he will make very good one-on-one impression with a lot of the democratic senators. i think it will be much harder for them to unify and be against and force a filibuster after he spends one-on-one time with them. >> we'll be hearing a lot about judge gorsuch in the days and weeks to come and there will be coverage of this in your late local news. for our entire team, i'm lester holt. nbc news, new york. we've just heard .

that is not neil gorsuch. this is not a bomb thrower, someone in any way who doesn't believe in the judicial branch and in that sense it's surprising because i think disrupters are kind of trump's things so this is an incredibly solid respectable conventional pick that anyone would have made. in once sense it's surprising for trump because trump promised us a blue-collar non-ivy non-fancy pants guy and gorsuch was on the short list. so in that sense it's a funny pick but in every other sense conventional. >> he's sort of in the same way that the president attacked goldman sachs for having captured hillary clinton and having been the great downfall of ted cruz's ties to goldman sachs and then he brings on six people from goldman sachs into the administration. he is famous for the hobby lobby case, for his role at the appeals court level while that case made its way to the supreme court. i described that in a short way. tell me 23 i got that right and why that might be important in terms of controversies or impo

but back to the nomination of judge gorsuch. president trump had this to say. >> i am keeping another promise to the american people. by nominating judge neil gorsuch of the united states supreme court to be of the united states supreme court. >> i respect that in our legal order, it is the congress ands not the court to write new laws. it is for us to apply, nott rework the people's laws. a judge who likes every outcome he reaches is very likely a bad judge. stretching for those he prefers to those the law demands. >> tucker: ted cruz of texas vowed that he would get this nominee chosen for anything. he joins us tonight from the white house, senator, thank you for coming on. >> congrats on the new show by the way. and all the success. >> tucker: i appreciate that. is this the judge he would have chosen for the supreme court? >> i think judge gorsuch is a home run. i'm very, very happy. during the campaign, president trump promised the american people if he was elected, he would nominate a principal constitutionalist to replace

serious doubts on judge gorsuch's ability to meet this standard."if yesterday is any indication, senate democrats aren't exactly feeling cooperative right now when it comes to trump nominees. so another battle will be on tap but it will largely be on schumer to determine how hard senate democrats push back on this particular supreme court nomination -- and weigh what the end results might be. in washington, i'm karin caifa. and we have team coverage of president trump's supreme court nominee. anny hong shows us how bay area political analysts are reacting to the pick.... anny? democrats are vowing to delay the process for confirming judge neil gorsuch to the supreme court... and political experts say it's not because he isn't qualified... but because donald trump picked him. there is still tension after former president barack obama nominated merrick garland... who wasn't considered at all by the republicans. some say gorsuch is a lot like his predecessor... the late justice antonin scalia. standup and u-s senator kamala harris also responded to the

neil gorsuch, is he constipated? trust number one doctor recommended dulcolax use dulcolax tablets for gentle overnight relief suppositories for relief in minutes and stool softeners for comfortable relief of hard stools. dulcolax, designed for dependable relief so if ydead battery,t tire, need a tow or lock your keys in the car, geico's emergency roadside assistance is there 24/7. oh dear, i got a flat tire. hmmm. uh... yeah, can you find a take where it's a bit more dramatic on that last line, yeah? yeah i got it right here. someone help me!!! i have a flat tire!!! well it's good... good for me. what do you think? geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. >> tucker: most of the country is just meeting neil gorsuch for the first time tonight. what is he like as a person and for that we go to someone who has known him for at least 25 years. served as president obama's ethics czar, he was gorsuch's classmate at harvard. they both graduated alongside president obama. that was an am

that was made difficult by the nomination of an outstanding candidate like judge gorsuch. so our colleague came up with a new supermajority standard for his confirmation, a sthanders that -- a standard that didn't exist for seven of the eight justices currently on the court. a fact my friend later had to admit. the democratic double standard on required nominees to prejudge issues is just the latest attempt to come up with something, with anything -- anything -- to justify opposing an exceptional nominee like judge gorsuch. judge gorsuch is one of the most impressive, most highly qualified nominees to come before us ever. he's won kudos from across the political specter. even the top democrat on the judiciary committee couldn't help but prays hi -- but praise him. our new president has nominated a thoughtful jurist. democrats are viewing this nominee as a political problem. their base is demanding total resistance to everything, but they can't find a good reason to oppose judge gorsuch on the merits. they're in a pickle, mr. president. so we have this attempt to replace th

of the meeting with gorsuch. obviously this now emerging as a major issue in this supreme court nomination fight. for more, i want to bring in kelly o'donnell at the white house. so kelly, take us through this. one thing i am curious about. is there room for there to be two interpretations of the event where blumenthal asks a specific question, gorsuch tries to provide an answer and they each have a different understanding of the answer? >> what's notable about what the president said is he used the word misrepresent or misrepresenting four times in a matter of seconds and made two references to his sort of attack on richard blumenthal, democrat of connecticut about his vietnam. he corrected it but has paid a political price for it over time. this is something the president is bringing back up now to discredit blumenthal and his account. day seanpicer is saying what the nominee to the supreme court was talking about was a broader topic. and yet, it appears it would be in the context of the most recent comments fr

he praised gorsuch and gorsuch thanked the president for entrusting him. with what he called "a most solemn assignment." >> the 49-year-old is married. he has two daughters. he is from colorado. and harvard law grad. he clerked for justices white and kennedy. now judge gorsuch compared to the late justice antonin scalia. the man he may replace. late last night he called scalia a lion of the law. abc's terry moran with more. >> was that a surprise? was it? >> reporter: in the east room, president trump enjoying the primetime spotlight announcing his supreme court pick, neil gorsuch. >> judge gorsuch has outstanding legal skills, brilliant mind, tremendous discipline and earned bipartisan support. judge gorsuch stepping forward speaking of the honor of the moment. >> standing here in a house of history acutely aware of my own imperfections i pledge if i am confirmed i will do all my powers to permit to be a faithful servant of the constitution laws of this great country. >> reporter: the colorado native has a top tier pedigree, law degree from harvard, also

last night, the president nominated judge neil gorsuch. we in the senate have a to examinenal duty his record robustly, exhaustively, and comprehensively. we need to revise its consent if consent if weand see fit. we democrats will insist on a rigorous but fair process. there will be 60 votes for confirmation. anyone member can require it, many democrats already have. .t is the right thing to do on the subject is important -- as important as the supreme court nomination, bipartisanship should be essential. that is what 60 votes does. .hat is nothing new it was a varmint by each of president obama's nominations. in my mind, 60 votes is the appropriate way to go. whether there is a democratic president or republican president. democratic republican senate -- senate.lican because a 60 vote threshold is essential, those who say at the -- process ross is a that there are only two possible willts -- that the senate confirm this nominee or the republicans will use the nuclear option to confirm their choice are dead wrong. that is a false choice.

you can -- no, stay, stay. >> judge neil gorsuch.is is a little picture walking down the hallway to the capitol. i know kasie hunt is getting in the mix there. let's see if he makes any comments. let's listen for a moment. >> reporter: [ inaudible ]. >> nothing from judge gorsuch as he runs -- walks, rather, down the hallway, heading into senator susan collins' office. kelly ayotte joining him. kasie hunt is in that hallway. did you get a chance to get him any questions? the audio was a little bit muffled. >> reporter: we tried to, hallie. we asked him if the president was aware of what he said to senator blumenthal. he declined to answer questions. that typically has been out how they handled things like this. k kelly ayotte has been sort of following him around, shepherding him around through these meetings. she was until recently the republican senator from new hampshire. he's in there now with senator susan collins, the first of a series of meetings that he has today on capitol hill. looks like they're going to stick to the proce

judge gorsuch graed phi cappa beta and attended oxford.stice scalia, the cornerstone of judge gorsuch's judicial philosophy is fidelity to the text. he doesn't believe judges should base their decisions solely on the law -- he believes -- sorry. i don't want to screw that one up. that his decision should be based slowly on the law and the constitution, not on their own policy preferences or personal feelings. he'll be a reliable on the bench regardless of background. i would note, i think -- and i always want to caveat this, but to my understanding, he would be the first justice that will serve with the -- as someone he clerked for on the bench. so it will be sort of a first when he is con firpfirmed by th senate. today is february 1st. we're kicking off black history month. the president has events planned throughout the month starting today with a significance th administration african-american appointees. later today, the president will issue a proclamation. the u.s. postal service kicked off the month by issuing a dorothy heit stamp. s

there is less of that in judge gorsuch but he is an excellent writer. your group is happy with this choice. remind viewers what the fund for religious liberty is. >> the becket fund is a nonprofit public interest law firm that defends religious liberty for people of all faiths. we like to say that we defend people from anglicans to zoroastrians and everywhere in between. >> when you look at judge gorsuch, what cases that he has decided make you believe that he will be in line with what your group believes? >> he has had several cases that involve religious liberty issues and as i have a renewed -- reviewed those opinions, i'm really impressed with his proven track record of applying the law fairly to protect the religious liberties of people of all faiths. particularly, for religious minorities. he had a very important decision that he authored called the yellow bear decision and it involved a native american prisoner who had his religious exercise burdened while he was incarcerated and judge gorsuch applied the federal law that was protect thise, too n

judge gorsuch turns 50 this year. a lot of comparisons with justice scalia as you've mentioned, george, but one thing that was written is his opinions have been described as exceptionally clear and routinely entertaining. >> you saw a little wit when he was talking about justice white as well. i want to bring john karl back right now. terry moran mentioned justice kennedy. i want to show what the lineup of the court would look like if judge gorsuch is confirmed. you see justice kennedy in the middle and you wonder if he is sending a signal picking his clerk for the court saying the court is in good hands if you're confirmed, safe for you to retire. >> there's no question that president trump has thought about replacing not one justice, perhaps not even just two or three. certainly anthony kennedy is one he would love to replace. ruth bader ginsburg, also 83 years old. and the message that the democrats have sent is this will be a tough confirmation battle, but the next one, the next one will be a truly brutal confirma

>> absolutely. >> given where gorsuch stands -- >> that's number one. >> given judge gorsuch's position on the president's attitude toward the judiciary and that the president has praised neil gorsuch for his integrity, does he have regrets about comments he made about federal judges? >> he has no regrets. he's proud of the selection he made. he has no regrets. thank you. >> on immigration , i know the white house is following the situation. i want to know does the president believe she should have been deported and what message does he have? >> i'll refer you back to i.c.e. on that. that's an i.c.e. matter. the issue is developing in arizona right now. i would refer you back to i.c.e. >> in that lunch meeting, the president said that, you know, he basically said senator blumenthal's comments were taken out of context. >> judge gorsuch's comments were. >> however, senator ayotte who is working with the white house to help shepherd judge gorsuch through the hill released a statement confirming those same remarks disheartening and demoralizing. >> this is what senator ayotte said. judge g

gorsuch should not be the first. [applause] >> let me say, president trump and i have full confidence that judge gorsuch will be confirmed but rest assured, we will work with the senate leadership to ensure that judge gorsuch gets an up or down vote on the senate floor one way or the other. [applause] >> this seat does not belong to any party or ideology or interest group. this seat on the supreme court belongs to the american people, and the american people deserve a vote on the floor of the united states senate. [applause] >> my friends, this is a historic time for our country. we're ordinary reason the verge literally of reampling the supremacy of the constitution and our nation's supreme court. we're giving a new voice to the age-old vision of our founding fathers. we're rededicating ourselves and country to the timeless principles proclaimed only a few steps away from where we're standing right now. under president trump's leadership we're returning power to the american people, the rightful rulers of the greate

that is not neil gorsuch. this is not a bomb thrower, someone in any way who doesn't believe in the judicial branch and in that sense it's surprising because i think disrupters are kind of trump's things so this is an incredibly solid respectable conventional pick that anyone would have made. in once sense it's surprising for trump because trump promised us a blue-collar non-ivy non-fancy pants guy and gorsuch was on the short list. so in that sense it's a funny pick but in every other sense conventional. >> he's sort of in the same way that the president attacked goldman sachs for having captured hillary clinton and having been the great downfall of ted cruz's ties to goldman sachs and then he brings on six people from goldman sachs into the administration. he is famous for the hobby lobby case, for his role at the appeals court level while that case made its way to the supreme court. i described that in a short way. tell me 23 i got that right and why that might be important in terms of controversies or impo

judge gorsuch, the podium, sir, is years. yours. [applause] judge gorsuch: thank you. president, thank you very much. mr. president, mr. vice president, you and your team have shown me great courtesy and you have entrusted me with the most solemn assignment. standing here in the house of history, aware of my own imperfections. if i'm confirmed, i will do all my powers that permit to enforce the constitution of laws in this country. for the last decade, i worked as a federal judge at a court that spanned six western states. serving 18 million people. the men and women i have worked with are an inspiration to me. i have watch them fearlessly tending to the rule of law, forcing the promises of our constitution, and living out oaths to judicial administer justice equally. without respect to their personal political beliefs. i think of oaths t them tonight. the supreme court's work is not the region of the country but the whole, vital to the protection of people's liberties continuityand in constitut with our constitution. the judges that have served in this particular seat

graduated, -- when he judge for such -- gorsuch. received ach unanimously well-qualified rating by the american bar association when he was nominated on the court of appeals, and he was confirmed without any votes in opposition. not a single democrat opposed judge gorsuch's confirmation. not barack obama, hillary clinton, joe biden, or ted kennedy. who stille democrats served with us opposed him, including ranking members of the judiciary committee. in the coming days, i hope and expect that all senate colleagues will give him their consideration, just as we did for newly elected -- newly nominated presidents clinton and obama. this is the judge who is known for deciding cases based on how the law is actually written, not how he wishes it were written. even when it relates -- leads to results that conflict with his personal political police -- believes. here is how judge gorsuch put it himself. every resultikes he reaches is very likely a bad judge. reaching for results he prefers rather than of the law compels. some of our colleagu

neil gorsuch, does he get through? >> neil gorsuch worked for me. i believe at the end of the day he will be confirmed. i don't believe the nuclear option will be exercised. >> bill: that means they get the votes. they get the 60. >> i believe they will get the votes. >> bill: thank you, sir, for your time. alberto gonzalez live from tennessee. we'll talk again. 20 past the hour. back to the steps of the court. shannon. >> shannon: president trump began with a list of 21 potential supreme court picks. how did he decide finally on judge neil gorsuch? we'll talk to an advisor who assisted the president every step of the way through this process. that's next. a fox news alert on the deadly terror raid in yemen that took the life of a navy seal. defense sources telling fox news the intelligence being collected could be a treasure trove. more on what we're learning about that coming up. >> shannon: president trump promised quick action on the supreme court during the campaign. and he vowed that he was going to nominate a judge in the mold of antonin scal

but then he put up a second list with neil gorsuch and neil gorsuch's name continued to rise on thati do not think there have been conversations between donald trump and judge gorsuch, what we can ascertain is that donald trump obviously has been speaking to republicans and two people in republicans and two people in republican circles who actually think very highly ofjudge gorsuch. —— to. that is why you are seeing this take place. also, more importantly, he has received enormous bipartisan support. i ensure donald trump and his team will be thinking this is an individual who could get through a very ugly nomination fight. individual who could get through a very ugly nomination fightm individual who could get through a very ugly nomination fight. it is a lwa ys very ugly nomination fight. it is always enlightening to have you on the programme. thank you very much indeed. thank you very much. the start of donald trump's presidency is proving to be fiercely controversial. his decision to build a wall on the mexican border and the order to temporarily ban muslims from certain countries

gorsuch is more sceptical of government. being pro-life, being pro gun, gun rights, i think they both set that mold. both would allow him to say to his base, this is way promised and this is how i delivered. >> working on the third circuit court, with the president's sister, some people think, that gives him -- if you will, a little bit of an advantageous. >> i know the president's sister. we were judges in new jersey together. a formidable woman. personality and intellect. lou: i was on a jury in which she was the judge it was a civil case. >> you would have been a teenager in those days. >days. lou: i was, i assure you. here comes the president. we are about to find out. judge map * with me throughout. stay with us as thpresident approaches the podium. [applause] >> thank you. thank you very much. thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. when justice scalia passed away suddenly last february, i made a promise to the american people. if i were elected president, i would find the very best judge in the country for the supr