Former President Donald Trump is declaring that he “saved” Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and expressing his disappointment in Kavanaugh’s votes, according to a book.
In the upcoming book “Landslide” by Michael Wolff, the author writes about his interview with Trump, in which the former president told him that he is “very disappointed” in Kavanaugh’s votes, according to Axios.
“There were so many others I could have appointed, and everyone wanted me to,” Trump said.
He added, “Where would he be without me? I saved his life. He wouldn’t even be in a law firm. Who would have had him? Nobody. Totally disgraced. Only I saved him.”
Trump suggested Kavanaugh “hasn’t had the courage you need to be a great justice.”
According to Wolff, while Trump felt betrayed by Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, he felt “reserved particular bile for Kavanaugh.” Trump nominated all three justices.
Kavanaugh was nominated by Trump in July of 2018. In October 2018, he was sworn in following “the bitter nomination fight,” as The New York Times put it.
“Practically every senator called me … and said, ‘Cut him loose, sir, cut him loose. He’s killing us, Kavanaugh.’ … I said, ‘I can’t do that,” Trump said of the confirmation fight.
The former president continued, “I had plenty of time to pick somebody else. I went through that thing and fought like hell for Kavanaugh — and I saved his life, and I saved his career. At great expense to myself … okay? I fought for that guy and kept him.”
“I don’t want anything … but I am very disappointed in him, in his ruling,” Trump said. He added:
“I can’t even believe what’s happening. I’m very disappointed in Kavanaugh. I just told you something I haven’t told a lot of people. In retrospect, he just hasn’t had the courage you need to be a great justice. I’m basing this on more than just the election.”
Wolff’s book is expected to be released on Tuesday.
As Axios’ Mike Allen notes from Axios’ Jonathan Swan’s reporting in “Off the rails,” “Over lunches in the private dining room adjoining the Oval Office, Trump used to reminisce about how he saved Kavanaugh by sticking by him.”