Donald Trump quietly met with a judge on his SCOTUS short list
President-elect Donald Trump quietly met with Alabama-based Judge William Pryor on Saturday, people familiar with the unannounced meeting told The Associated Press. The move comes just a handful of days before Trump is supposed to announce his Supreme Court nominee.
Trump has already expressed that Pryor, 54, as well as Judge Diane Sykes, 59, are his favorites for the position. Pryor serves on the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and was the attorney general in Alabama between 1997 and 2004, following in the footsteps of Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.). Sessions is Trump's choice for attorney general, and has praised Pryor as someone who "personally does not believe in abortion. He does not believe it is right. He believes it is wrong."
Pryor has slammed Roe v. Wade as the "worst abomination in the history of constitutional law," but his addition to the court would need the support of another Trump Supreme Court appointment before abortion rights could be greatly restructured.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
If selected, Pryor would fill a vacancy on the court left by Justice Antonin Scalia after his death last year. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) refused to give President Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominee, Judge Merrick Garland, a hearing; Garland's nomination recently expired after 293 days.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Global court issues arrest warrant for Netanyahu
Speed Read The International Criminal Court issued warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who stand accused of war crimes
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Gaetz bows out, Trump pivots to Pam Bondi
Speed Read Gaetz withdrew from attorney generation consideration, making way for longtime Trump loyalist Pam Bondi
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
GOP's Mace seeks federal anti-trans bathroom ban
Speed Read Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina has introduced legislation to ban transgender people from using federal facilities
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Ukraine fires ATACMS, Russia ups hybrid war
Speed Read Ukraine shot U.S.-provided long-range missiles and Russia threatened retaliation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
New York DA floats 4-year Trump sentencing freeze
Speed Read President-elect Donald Trump's sentencing is on hold, and his lawyers are pushing to dismiss the case while he's in office
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Wyoming judge strikes down abortion, pill bans
Speed Read The judge said the laws — one of which was a first-in-the-nation prohibition on the use of medication to end pregnancy — violated the state's constitution
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US sanctions Israeli West Bank settler group
Speed Read The Biden administration has imposed sanctions on Amana, Israel's largest settlement development organization
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Gaetz ethics report in limbo as sex allegations emerge
Speed Read A lawyer representing two women alleges that Matt Gaetz paid them for sex, and one witnessed him having sex with minor
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published