President Donald Trump's choice to fill the vacant seat on the United States Supreme Court could "make or break" his base, according to political commentator Erick Erickson.
"A large number of evangelicals backed Donald Trump, many begrudgingly, because of the United States Supreme Court" Erickson wrote for The Resurgent Tuesday.
"One in five voters in November went to the polls because of the Supreme Court, and sixty percent of them voted for Donald Trump."
The two reported front-runners are appeals court Judges Neil Gorsuch of Denver and Thomas Hardiman of Philadelphia. Hardiman is reportedly close will Maryanne Trump Barry, Trump's sister and another appeals court judge in Philadelphia according to NPR, but his stance on immigration may differ from Trump and many of his supporters.
"The anti-immigration voters who backed Donald Trump view Hardiman as bad on immigration," Erickson said. "Hardiman is rumored to have worked pro bono in the past for immigrants. Already some of Trump's vocal supporters, such as Ann Coulter, are loudly complaining that Thomas Hardiman would be the 'Jeb Bush' of Supreme Court nominees."
Whereas Gorsuch is favorably compared to the late Antonin Scalia by evangelical conservatives.
"Evangelicals are more comfortable with Gorsuch because they know what they are getting. They feel burned by the illustrious Republican nominees David Souter, Anthony Kennedy, and John Roberts. Gorsuch is an originalist in the mold of Scalia and Hardiman appears that way, but some are concerned," Erickson wrote.
"If Donald Trump picks Thomas Hardiman, his most vocal supporters will loudly proclaim it a genius pick for the ages. In fact, they may get a term or two of comfort. But if Hardiman "grows" in office, that growth would occur as Trump is up for re-election. It could damage him. The reason evangelicals supported him will have evaporated."
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