WASHINGTON -- The Latest on President Donald Trump (all times local):
8:25 a.m.
An adviser to President Donald Trump says the president is "fully confident" in his Supreme Court nominee.
Kellyanne Conway said Thursday on "Fox and Friends" that Trump wants judges "to express their own independence," after his extended criticism of the judiciary prompted a rebuke from Judge Neil Gorsuch, his pick for the Supreme Court.
Conway echoed comments made earlier by Trump, casting doubt on the credibility of Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who first relayed remarks Gorsuch that Trump's criticism of the judiciary is "demoralizing and disheartening."
Trump's own confirmation team for Gorsuch later confirmed the comments.
Conway said that "the judge has been misrepresented."
She said, "Blumenthal has had a credibility problem" after inaccurately saying he'd served in Vietnam. Blumenthal apologized for his misstatements in 2010
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8:22 a.m.
A Republican former senator confirms comments by the president's Supreme Court nominee, though the president suggests those comments were misrepresented.
President Donald Trump attacked a Democratic senator early Thursday. Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal had said judge Neil Gorsuch told him during a meeting that he found Trump's disparagement of the judiciary "demoralizing and disheartening."
GOP former Sen. Kelly Ayotte is helping with Gorsuch's confirmation and was at the meeting.
She issued a statement saying Gorsuch made clear he was not referring to any specific case. But she said the nominee said he finds any criticism of a judge's integrity and independence to be "disheartening and demoralizing."
Trump tweeted Thursday that Blumenthal "misrepresents what Judge Gorsuch told him?"
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7:30 a.m.
President Donald Trump suggests a Democratic senator misrepresented his Supreme Court nominee when the senator said the judge criticized Trump's recent disparagement of the judiciary.
Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal said Wednesday that Judge Neil Gorsuch told him Trump's comments were "demoralizing and disheartening." Trump's own confirmation team for Gorsuch confirmed those comments.
But Trump tweeted Thursday, "Richard Blumenthal, who never fought in Vietnam when he said for years he had (major lie), now misrepresents what Judge Gorsuch told him?"
Blumenthal faced criticism in the past for saying he had served in Vietnam. Blumenthal served in the Marine Corps Reserves during Vietnam. He apologized in 2010, saying he regretted his misstatements.
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3:23 a.m.
President Donald Trump's extended criticism of the judiciary has prompted a rebuke from his nominee for the Supreme Court, who told a senator the president's comments were "demoralizing and disheartening."
Judge Neil Gorsuch, who was nominated by Trump to the nation's high court last week, made the comments Wednesday after Trump accused an appellate court considering his immigration and refugee executive order of being "so political." During the weekend, the president labeled a judge who ruled on his executive order a "so-called judge" and referred to the ruling as "ridiculous."
Gorsuch's comments came at the end of his first full week of meetings in the Senate, which is considering his nomination.
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