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Trump’s Supreme Court Deal

As many know, Donald Trump has released a list of 11 people he might nominate to the Supreme Court if he is elected.

While I don’t know all of the people on the list, many of them are quite first rate and I have not heard any criticisms of people on the list that seem especially troubling. Thus, it is reassuring to many on the Right, who are skeptical of a Trump presidency, that he seems to be willing to nominate people who are supported by more conventional Republicans.

Although the list surprised many people, it makes perfect sense. Donald Trump is trying to work out an accommodation—a deal—with the Republican party. The conventional Republicans care a great deal about the Supreme Court appointment, and therefore this is a perfect way for Trump to secure their support.

Some people are skeptical that Trump will live up to his end of the agreement. While no one can know for sure, I tend to doubt he will renege on his end of the deal. This will be one of Trump’s earliest actions and such a reneging would tremendously hurt him with the Republicans. If he wanted to get his agenda accomplished, double crossing the Republicans would not be advisable.

While Trump is not my cup of tea, it is important to try to understand him and not to underestimate him. He claims that he is about making deals and that makes sense, given his background in real estate. If he becomes President, the question may then figuring out what deals he is willing to make. While some of those deals may be with the Democrats, if the Republicans control the Congress, those deals are likely to be largely with the Republicans. If his presidency were dominated by deals with the Republicans, that would be a very different presidency than many of his critics on the Right are imagining.