Trump Asks SCOTUS To Shield His Tax Returns | Kavanaugh Makes First Major Public Appearance…But Not Without Drama
November 15, 2019
A BIGGIE
|It’s official: PRESIDENT TRUMP asked the Supreme Court yesterday to stop a New York prosecutor from acquiring over eight years of Trump’s financial records, setting up a historic moment that will test separation of powers and a president’s authority. Although the high court is by no means required to weigh in on the lower court’s judgement in this case, justices are more likely to get involved now that a separate federal appeals court concluded this week that Congress also has a right to Trump’s tax records.
HELLO, IT'S ME
|Adam Liptak with The New York Times reports that after staying out of the limelight almost entirely for the last 13 months, BRETT KAVANAUGH made his first big public appearance last night speaking before the Federalist Society at its annual gala dinner. The new justice was greeted with “a thunderous standing ovation” — although it wasn’t all sunshine and daisies. Liptak notes that while the black-tie dinner took place inside Union Station, outside a large video screen played the Senate testimony of CHRISTINE BLASEY FORD, who accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault last year. And as Kavanaugh began his speech, protesters began blowing whistles and were “hustled from the dinner.”
I'M COMING OUT, I WANT THE WORLD TO KNOW
|“Brett Kavanaugh waited more than 13 months to take a victory lap. On Thursday night, a hero’s welcome greeted the associate justice who made it to the Supreme Court by the narrowest of margins last October after two contentious Senate confirmation hearings.” Richard Wolf with USA Today reports on the evening’s events and says that the newbie justice provided little in the way of legal substance during his remarks. He did, however, invoke the name of the late JUSTICE ANTONIN SCALIA. Kavanaugh said before the crowd, “Thanks to him, we are all originalists now. We are all textualists now.”
KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY
|Nina Totenberg and Shontee Pant with NPR explain that although BRETT KAVANAUGH’S appearance before the Federalist Society wasn’t free from protest, the crowd itself was packed with his biggest supporters. “This conservative crowd knew full well that Kavanaugh’s confirmation means that they comfortably hold the majority on the Supreme Court. A court that, in this term alone, will hear cases on nearly every major flashpoint in American society, including: abortion, guns, LGBTQ rights, the environment, religion in public schools and the future of DACA.”