Lower Court Edition: Support Builds for Kyle Duncan’s Nomination to Fifth Circuit
November 29, 2017
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Kyle Duncan’s nomination to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has overwhelming support from elected officials and community leaders in Louisiana and nationally.
- Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry wrote an op-ed in The Hill today praising Kyle Duncan: Trump court pick Kyle Duncan is the Neil Gorsuch of Louisiana
- More than 20 Louisiana state senators and representatives sent U.S. Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) a letter urging him to support Duncan’s nomination.
- Louisiana AG Landry will be on Family Research Council President Tony Perkins’ radio show this evening to talk about Kyle Duncan. Perkins is a pastor in Louisiana and well-regarded in the state.
- Popular Louisiana conservative Republican blog The Hayride: We were told, and we don’t believe it, that Duncan is supposedly “not Louisiana enough” to satisfy [Sen. Kennedy]. That can’t be right – Duncan is from Baton Rouge and he bleeds purple and gold. How is he not Louisiana enough? What, is he supposed to be crooked and that would make him Louisiana enough? Not to mention this is a nomination for the Fifth Circuit which includes states other than Louisiana (Texas and Mississippi, specifically). “Louisiana enough” is not a meaningful requirement for that job. This is worth watching, even though it has to be a tempest in a teapot. Has to be. If it isn’t then there will be lots of people questioning whether Kennedy is a conservative after all.
- Statement from Judicial Crisis Network’s Chief Counsel and Policy Director, Carrie Severino:“President Trump continues to nominate exceptionally well-qualified candidates to the courts. Throughout his legal career, Kyle Duncan has been a champion in defending the Constitution and adhering to the law. His career has been a showcase for the types of judges the people of Louisiana and across the country voted for when they voted overwhelmingly for President Trump on the judges issue. “It is widely acknowledged that Trump’s nominees are extraordinary, and Duncan, in particular, has received widespread support from national conservative leaders and elected officials as well as from basically everyone in Louisiana except Senator Kennedy. Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry today called Duncan ‘the Neil Gorsuch of Louisiana.’ The people of Louisiana are waiting to find out if Senator Kennedy stands with them and President Trump or liberal special interest groups in Washington.”
- Lots of leaders in the conservative movement are coming out in support of Duncan including Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund, Concerned Women for America, Faith and Freedom Coalition, Family Research Council and Tony Perkins, SBA List, Laura Ingraham, The Catholic Association, Elizabeth Slattery (of Heritage Foundation), Ken Blackwell, Americans United for Life, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton
The issue of judicial nominations is very potent, especially in Louisiana.
- Exit polling from the 2016 presidential race showed nationally, 21 percent of voters call appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court “the most important factor” in their decision, preliminary exit polls indicate. (Though President Obama did put forth a nominee, the Supreme Court seat vacated when Justice Antonin Scalia passed away in February, remains open.) These voters overwhelmingly favor Trump, 57 to 40 percent.
- Louisiana voters went overwhelmingly for President Trump over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 general election, a 20 point margin: 58%-38%
