Potential Donald Trump SCOTUS nominee publicly mocked GOP candidate on Twitter
Presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump released a list of 11 judges he would consider nominating to the US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) if elected in November. However, one of the potential high court justices included stands out for an interesting reason: he has used Twitter to publicly mock Trump on several occasions.
Texas Supreme Court Justice, Don Willett, is on the selective list, which includes several judges typically on conservative wish lists, and is often considered to be a strong conservative. Willett also happens to have a Twitter presence that rivals that of the bombastic real estate mogul.
According to The Associated Press, Willett has repeatedly used his Twitter account, @JusticeWillett, to mock Trump. Last summer, the justice put in doubt Trump's conservatism by tweeting: "Can't wait till Trump rips off his face Mission Impossible-style & reveals a laughing Ruth Bader Ginsburg." Supreme Court Justice Ginsburg is one of the most liberal SCOTUS' justices.
Willett has also mocked Trump's proposal to build a wall along the US-Mexico border to keep out undocumented immigrants and then force Mexico to pay for it. "We'll rebuild the Death Star. It'll be amazing, believe me. And the rebels will pay for it," the jokester justice tweeted.
The AP noted that Willett has even used critical haiku at the possible nominees Trump could name to the Supreme Court. "Donald Trump haiku—Who would the Donald Name to #SCOTUS? The mind reels. *weeps—can't finish tweet*" he tweeted.
AP also reported that as news of Trump's list began to make the rounds, "Willett giggled at the attention." The justice said he was "exercising judicial restraint" and did not comment on his name being on the high court short list. But a look at Willett's Twitter feed—which is highly recommended if you are looking for a laugh—shows the justice's general disdain for the election season and its participants.
Willett was appointed to the Texas Supreme Court in August, 2005, by former Texas Governor Rick Perry—who also ran against Trump and was one of his biggest critics before changing his mind. The self-proclaimed "avid judicial tweeter" was re-elected to six-year terms in 2006 and 2012.
The list of potential SCOTUS nominees includes a number of other names who also frequently appear on conservative wish lists, The Hill reported. The other 10 potentials that Trump is considering, according to a Trump Campaign press statement, are: Diane Sykes, Joan Larsen, William Pryor, Thomas Lee, Raymond Kethledge, David Stras, Steven Colloton, Allison Eid, Raymond Gruender and Thomas Hardiman.
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