The set of “Morning Joe” offered a warm review of Judge Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump’s pick to replace the retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court.
In the opening minutes of Tuesday’s show, the regulars on set took turns praising the Bush-era judge who has been a fixture in D.C. for more than a decade.
“The truth of the matter is that where there are places progressives will disagree on guns, abortion and presidential power. This is not a wild Judge Jeanine Pirro pick as some were fearing,” said Willie Geist. “This is an eminently qualified guy — and again you can disagree with his positions on certain issues — but this is a guy who is qualified for this job.”
“Senate Democrats were going to put up a fight whoever this was. We know that that fight is coming. They already talked about that last night,” he added.
“He’s such a mainstream pick,” Joe Scarborough said. “It is hard to paint him as a wild-eyed ideologue.”
Mike Barnicle added that it would please Susan Collins and other wavering pro-life Republicans, former RNC chief Michael Steele said Kavanaugh’s history as a former altar boy gave them an instant connection.
The Kavanaugh announcement puts to rest a week of speculation about who President Trump would tap to replace Kennedy, who has served on the high court for 30 years.
Trump, a former reality television star, kept the tension going until the final moments, and refused to give anyone around him a straight answer on who the final pick was. News only leaked out minutes before the announcement after Kavanaugh’s parents were spotted in the audience at the White House.