--- title: Why President Trump's Supreme Court Pick Was a 'Home Run' description: President Trump's nomination of Neil Gorsuch to be Associate Justice of the Supreme Court was widely praised by Republicans. canonical: https://time.com/4656299/why-president-trumps-supreme-court-pick-was-a-home-run/ author: Zeke Miller article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-02-01T17:07:08.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-07T07:15:23.316Z article:section: Politics og:title: Why President Trump's Supreme Court Pick Was a 'Home Run' og:description: President Trump's nomination of Neil Gorsuch to be Associate Justice of the Supreme Court was widely praised by Republicans. og:url: https://time.com/4656299/why-president-trumps-supreme-court-pick-was-a-home-run/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb24c27fcf0ec0da8/6986837dcd6848a30809364f/morning-must-reads1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: Morning Must Reads og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Why President Trump's Supreme Court Pick Was a 'Home Run' twitter:description: President Trump's nomination of Neil Gorsuch to be Associate Justice of the Supreme Court was widely praised by Republicans. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb24c27fcf0ec0da8/6986837dcd6848a30809364f/morning-must-reads1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Why President Trump's Supreme Court Pick Was a 'Home Run' > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=779607a1-d4ef-4b71-909b-47ebae629beb&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: President Trump Meets with Pharmaceutical Executives at White House [Watch (HLS stream): President Trump Meets with Pharmaceutical Executives at White House](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/cZzdx10P.m3u8) (1:08)  _Published 2017-01-31. President Donald Trump says he wants to lower drug prices and bring pharmaceutical companies back to the United States._ by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Feb 1, 2017 5:07 PM UTC by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Feb 1, 2017 5:07 PM UTC President Trump’s nomination of Neil Gorsuch to be Associate Justice of the Supreme Court was widely praised as a “home run” among Republicans. Coming at a time where many in his own party aren’t shy about holding their criticism, it was something of a unifying moment, as many of the president’s GOP critics were in the East Room for the announcement. Speaking to reporters afterward, many of the same lawmakers who lambasted Trump over his immigration executive order and other issues were singing his praises—if just for the night. But the good feelings didn’t last for long. By Wednesday morning, after 48 hours of his Administration arguing that the block on travel from seven Muslim-majority countries was not a ban, Trump injected the debate back into the bloodstream. “Everybody is arguing whether or not it is a BAN. Call it what you want, it is about keeping bad people (with bad intentions) out of country!” he tweeted. Meanwhile, Democrats are facing the challenge of deciding just how far to push their opposition to Trump’s pick. Still smarting from GOP obstruction of Merrick Garland, some are plotting to go the distance. But ultimately, they will lose. Republicans have been open about their threats to use the “nuclear option” to remove the filibuster on Supreme Court nominations, as Democrats did under Obama for other nominations. That would deprive them of leverage should Trump have the opportunity to make a further pick, as is widely expected. Trump’s private security questioned. The nominee for Treasury Secretary faces more questions. And the White House walks back a statement. _Here are your must reads:_ **Must Reads** [President Trump Nominates Neil Gorsuch to Supreme Court ](http://time.com/4653790/donald-trump-neil-gorsuch-supreme-court/)A surprise until the final moments \[TIME\] [Will Democrats Stop President Trump’s Supreme Court Nominee? ](http://time.com/4656072/supreme-court-neil-gorsuch-democrats/)They intend to try \[TIME\] [Treasury Secretary Nominee’s Foreign Money Links Bring New Scrutiny ](http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/31/politics/steve-mnuchin-treasury-secretary-trump/)Another roadblock \[CNN\] [Trump Security’s Use of Force Questioned ](http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/trump-securitys-use-of-force-questioned-234396)Testimony shows confusion, lack of procedures among Trump security aides. \[Politico\] **Sound Off** “This may be the most transparent judicial selection process in history.” — President Trump announcing his SCOTUS pick “The default is if you’re qualified for the position then you should be confirmed” — White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, in what is news to Merrick Garland **Bits and Bites** [Gorsuch v. Prepositional Phrases](http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=30739) \[Language Log\] [President Trump has already socked away more than $7 million for his 2020 reelection](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/01/31/president-trump-has-already-socked-away-more-than-7-million-for-his-2020-reelection/?postshare=5621485919858470&tid=ss%5Ftw&utm%5Fterm=.530574c1104b) \[Washington Post\] [Donald Trump Will Continue Targeting Suspected American Terrorists Overseas](http://time.com/4655992/donald-trump-spicer-american-terrorists/) \[TIME\] [President Trump’s Immigration Order Could Harm the Fight Against Domestic Terror Some Experts Warn](http://time.com/4655229/president-trump-immigration-executive-order-muslims-terrorism-police/) \[TIME\] [The Homeland Security Secretary Said President Trump’s Visa Ban ‘Wasn’t a Surprise’](http://time.com/4655017/the-homeland-security-secretary-said-president-trumps-visa-ban-wasnt-a-surprise/) \[TIME\] [Scaramucci fights to stay in the White House](http://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/scaramucci-trump-white-house-234462) \[Politico\] ## Transcript What I went is we have to get lower prices, we have to get even better innovation, and I want you to move your companies back to the United States. And I want you to manufacture in the United States. We're gonna be lowering taxes bigly. We're gonna be getting rid of regulations that are unnecessary bigly. We're going to be ending global freeloading. Foreign price controls reduce the resources of American drug to finance drug and R and D innovation. I think you people know that very well. It's very unfair to this country. Our trade policy will prioritize that foreign countries pay their fair share For US manufactured drugs so our drug companies have greater financial resources to accelerate the development of new cures. And I think it's so important. But right now it's very unfair what other countries are doing to us. We're gonna streamline the FDA. We have a fantastic person that I think I'll be naming very soon. He's gonna streamline the FDA. And you're gonna get your products either approved or not approved but it's gonna be a quick process. 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