district judge matthew kaczmarek, nominated by president trump, confirmed by the senate in 2019 by a2-46. he's known for his conservative views on issues like abortion, lgbtq rights, and same-sex marriage. >> senators, i think it is reasonable to ask if i can abide by an oath that requires me to fairly and impartially apply the law as it is written, regardless of my religious beliefs. yes, i think that is part of your advise and consent function. >> can you give me that assurance? >> i will. yes, i do. >> we know from his short time on the bench that he has sided with quite conservative causes. i think the plaintiffs in this case have a good sense that this judge is likely to be sympathetic to their effort based on his background. >> reporter: but those who know him personally say he's fair and impartial. >> i think judge kaczmarek, matthew, is one of the smartest people i know. always willing to listen and to hear all sides of a situation and consider its long-term impact. >> reporter: sherry sadler has known judge kaczmarek for at least 25 years. she runs christian homes and family

i could go on and on about judge matthew kaczmarek. amy: could you talk about what he did today?his hearing and trying to keep it secret? >> this is remarkable. judge matthew kaczmarek on friday said, look, we've been getting a lot of phone calls, getting death threats. i don't want a circus-like atmosphere in my courtroom so please don't tell anyone about this hearing that we are scheduling for wednesday. he told the attorneys he was not going to put it on public docket until late on tuesday. eleanor who has been covering this for the texas tribune said, if i had -- if i found out late tuesday about hearing happening wednesday morning, she would've had to drive through the night on tuesday to reach amarillo, texas, where the hearing is taking place from austin, which is eight hours away. there are journalists camped out on the steps of that courthouse who have been there since the crack of dawn, apparently choosing to let in 19 journalists. that is only after judge matthew kaczmarek went to pretty unusual measures to try to prevent the public from knowing what is going on in thi

. >> reporter: federal judge matthew kaczmarek, a trump appointee, heard from an anti-abortion rights organization that argued the fda improperly approved mifepristone, posing risk to patients. the judge appeared sympathetic in his questioning, asking the group's lawyers if there is precedent for a court to withdraw fda approval of a drug. the fda argued the drug is safe and effective, approved up to the tenth week of pregnancy, and has been on the market for more than 20 years. the drug is available by mail, even in states where abortion is illegal. >> in some ways this could be a bigger deal than the reversal of roe v. wade was because it could have ripple effects in every state, not just states that want to ban abortion. >> reporter: john sego says the goal is to protect americans from unsafe products. is there a concern that could expand far beyond this issue and have unforeseen ramifications? >> no. i think this is absolutely appropriate there has to be some kind of check on the fda and on a pro-abortion administration. >> reporter: the judge says he hopes to make a decision in t

and so they specifically went to judge kaczmarek in amarillo to have them have this case, and appointedto not go to one judge here. >> and what if he does overturn this authorization from the fda as you point out has stood for 23 years, and it will have an appeals process, but what does it mean for the people who wants to be yusing this drug, and again, it is not just used for abortion? >> if they don't get a stay, and the injunction took effect, then women and medical providers would have to find a work-around. it is part 1 of a two-part regimen and it is not as efficacious if you do it that way, and there are other health concerns, but it can be done, so they will have to find a way to work around, and not only problematic, but chaotic with people not knowing what to do and how to proceed from here, and so it is a real problem for women and their health care provides. >> jennifer rodrodgers, we appreciate you working with us to break it down and important to have the facts in front of us. >> thank you, erica. >>> and inflation fell slightly in february and the food prices do remain st

trump-appointed judge matthew kaczmarek is being asked to do something that has never been done beforerce the fda to revoke approval of a medication that's been on the market for more than 20 years more than half of all abortions in the u.s. are done by pills, and this decision could pull one of them off the market nationwide, even in places where abortion is legal. i want to talk about it with nbc news senior legal correspondent laura jarrett. tella farhadian weinstein is a former federal prosecutor and msnbc legal analyst. let me ask you both about what little we know about what happened inside because they're not allowing anybody in there with any kind of device. dasha burns came out and she said look, he asked some questions about a couple of intervening events that caused changes to the rules for prescribing. in 2016 and 2022 one of the things that was mentioned was telehealth what does that tell both of you? >> we're still just trying to read the tea leavens because don't have the benefit of a live stream -- >> i'm sorry to have to interrupt because secretary austin is briefing a

there's one federal judge, matthew kaczmarek, a president trump appointee who went working on anti-abortionocacy to the federal bench. >> it would be unprecedented for a judge, a single judge, to say the fda got it wrong 23 years ago. there's never been an instance where anyone has overturned the rooming of the fda against the fda wishes. >> reporter: judge kacsmaryk's hearing had been shrouded in secrecy, the judge saying he didn't want to out of security concerns. sparking outrage over lack of transparency. >> i'm dressed like a clown to show what a circus he's created. it's just a joke. he's making the american court system into a circus. >> reporter: more than half of the abortions in the u.s. in recent years were medication abortions most using mifepristone. >> and mifepristone is not just used in abortion care, it's also used for miscarriage management. >> reporter: the judge didn't rule from the bench today. and said he'd issue an opinion as soon as possible. now, about what could be in that opinion, in the judge's questioning, he hinted at being sympathetic towards the legal argumen

matthew kaczmarek heard about four hours of arguments on wednesday and suggested that he is seriouslyonsidering undoing federal approval of that drug. what's at stake? access could be cut off nationwide to the most common method of abortion in the united states even as states where medication abortion is legal. the vice president kamala harris warning of the potential consequences. >> on the fundamental issue at play with that court case is our public health system as a whole. if politicians can start using the court to undo doctors' decisions, imagine where that could lead. >> well, this comes as walgreens said it will not dispense mifepristone in the 21 states, including a handful where abortion is legal. following a letter from gop attorney generals in those states. in response a group of 14 governors issued a letter to major pharmacies writing we urge that your decisions continue to be guided by well established science and medical evidence, not politics or litigation threats. so joining us now to discuss one of the signers of that litter democratic governor tim walz of minnesota.