Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is making it clear that he has no interest in leaving the political arena for a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court, despite President Donald Trump previously considering him for the nation’s highest court.
Cruz delivered the emphatic answer during a conversation with Sean Hannity when asked about the possibility of accepting a Supreme Court nomination from Trump.
“My answer is not just no, but hell no,” Cruz said, stressing that his rejection was not meant as disrespect toward the court.
The Texas Republican said he deeply reveres the Supreme Court and understands why serving as a justice represents a lifelong ambition for many attorneys and constitutional scholars.
Cruz has unusually extensive experience with the court for a sitting senator. He previously clerked for Chief Justice William Rehnquist and later argued nine cases before the Supreme Court while serving as Texas solicitor general.
But Cruz said the very nature of being a principled federal judge is one of the reasons he does not want the position. Judges, he explained, are expected to remain outside partisan politics and policy battles.
Cruz instead wants to remain directly involved in those political fights as an elected senator, where he can advocate for legislation, campaign for conservative priorities and publicly debate the direction of the country.
Trump has previously floated Cruz as a potential Supreme Court nominee and even included him among a group of possible selections released during the 2020 presidential campaign.
At the time, Cruz said being considered was an immense honor and praised Trump for selecting constitutional conservatives for the federal judiciary.
Trump has also joked about Cruz’s prospects for Senate confirmation, suggesting Democrats and Republicans might unanimously support him simply because lawmakers would be happy to get the outspoken Texas senator out of Congress.
The relationship between Trump and Cruz has changed dramatically since their bitter battle for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. Cruz now describes Trump as a good friend and has become an important ally of the president in the Senate.
Cruz was first elected to the Senate in 2012 and took office in 2013. His tenure has been defined by his willingness to engage directly in some of Washington’s most contentious political and legislative battles.
His legal background nevertheless continues to make his name an obvious possibility whenever speculation emerges about a future conservative vacancy on the Supreme Court.
That speculation has cooled recently amid indications that Justice Samuel Alito does not plan to retire during the current Supreme Court term.
Even if another vacancy does emerge while Trump is president, however, Cruz says the White House should look elsewhere.
For Cruz, the decision comes down to where he believes he can have the greatest impact. Rather than trading the Senate floor for the Supreme Court bench, the Texas Republican says he intends to remain in the political fight.
The post Ted Cruz Shuts Down Supreme Court Speculation With Fiery ‘Hell No’ appeared first on Real News Now.
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