This is sad because it could be the spark of an interesting conversation, but instead, it's just become fodder for the Trump vs. DeSantis debate. If you remember, CNN last week did a very serious report on Ron DeSantis' close ties with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. It seems that Thomas came to Florida a couple of years ago to speak for the Federalist Society, and afterward, he and DeSantis went out to dinner. They even hugged! CNN even showed the hug in slow-motion, it was so quick.
In introducing Thomas, DeSantis called him the "greatest living justice." And on Hugh Hewitt's show, DeSantis said that Thomas and Samuel Alito were "the gold standard" as far as justices go and that the justices President Trump appointed weren't quite in the same league.
Gov. @RonDeSantis: "None of" Trump's 3 Supreme Court appointees "are at the same level of Justices Thomas and Justice Alito. I think they are the gold standard, and so my justices will be along the lines of a Sam Alito and a Clarence Thomas." pic.twitter.com/fxSPmp2LSt
— Never Back Down (@NvrBackDown24) June 12, 2023
Team Trump seized and pounced, with Liz Harrington tweeting out a press release slamming DeSantis for flip-flopping. He praised Amy Coney Barrett when she was a nominee, but now he's flip-flopped.
Ron DeSantis Flip Flops Again… Announces He Does Not Support Trump-Appointed Supreme Court Justices Who Overturned Roe v. Wade pic.twitter.com/6z9qcdvrPb
— Liz Harrington (@realLizUSA) June 12, 2023
Is it that he doesn't support them or that he doesn't consider them to be Thomas/Alito tier?
This isn’t what he said @CommunityNotes
— District AI (@districtai) June 12, 2023
Recommended
Why are you so bad at this?
— Sagacious Guy (@RealSagacity) June 12, 2023
@CommunityNotes @NoteNeeded can we get a fact-check on this obvious lie?
— Proud Elephant 🇺🇸🦅 (@ProudElephantUS) June 12, 2023
DeSantis never once said he “does not support” any of the three Supreme Court justices named here.
He said Clarence Thomas is the gold-standard and Trump failed to find anyone that matches up to him.
Not to wade into the Trump/DeSantis battle, but it seems as though Team Trump is suggesting DeSantis doesn't support the justices who managed to overturn Roe v. Wade. But when it comes to abortion, Trump recently said that Florida's six-week ban was "too harsh" and many people in the pro-life movement agreed.
Saying one prefers Alito and Thomas does not mean that he does not support Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Coney Barrett. Why make things up?
— Bojac (@HeartlessBojac) June 12, 2023
That's not remotely what he said; he said, correctly, they were not of the caliber of Alito and Thomas. A fact nobody can argue.
— Rich F (@RichFGeorgia) June 12, 2023
While I strongly support Trump, Liz, DeSantis is correct regarding Kavanaugh and perhaps Barrett too.
— I’m Your Huckleberry (@RossFairchild) June 12, 2023
Gorsuch has been solid, but Kavanaugh and Barrett disappointingly vote like Roberts. We need more consistent gold standard conservative justices like Thomas and Alito…
That’s not what he said. Why lie? Kavanaugh has been a huge disappointment and you know it. He sides with the left as much with us.
— ACER #Team Sanity (@ACES7012) June 12, 2023
We were happy to get Gorsuch, Barrett, and Kavanaugh, but that doesn't put them on the same level as Thomas or Alito. Trump did well, and DeSantis says he could do better — standard campaign fare. And DeSantis is right … those three aren't at the same level.
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