1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:07,560 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Bloomberg Law Podcast. I'm June Grosso. Every 2 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:10,440 Speaker 1: day we bring you insight and analysis into the most 3 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:13,399 Speaker 1: important legal news of the day. You can find more 4 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:18,040 Speaker 1: episodes of the Bloomberg Law Podcast on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud 5 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:22,360 Speaker 1: and on Bloomberg dot com Slash Podcasts. In a long 6 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:25,920 Speaker 1: and wide ranging interview with Fox News yesterday, President Trump 7 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:29,840 Speaker 1: spoke about his embattled personal attorney, Michael Cohen, saying Cohen 8 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:32,879 Speaker 1: only handled a small amount of his legal business. He 9 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:37,360 Speaker 1: represents me, like with this crazy Stormy Daniels deal. He 10 00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:40,920 Speaker 1: represented me, and you know, from what I see, he 11 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:44,080 Speaker 1: did absolutely nothing wrong if there were no campaign fund 12 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:47,760 Speaker 1: joining us as former federal prosecutor Jeffrey Kramer, the managing 13 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:51,560 Speaker 1: director of the Berkeley Research Group jeff The speculation about 14 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 1: whether Cohen will cooperate seemed to reach a fever pitch 15 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:58,600 Speaker 1: after Trump's interview yesterday, where he tried to distance himself 16 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 1: from Cohen, saying he only did a tiny, tiny, little 17 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:05,160 Speaker 1: fraction of his legal work. If Cohen were your client, 18 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:08,000 Speaker 1: would you be knocking on the Special Council's door door 19 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:11,200 Speaker 1: to make a deal. You know? It all, Uh, it 20 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:14,720 Speaker 1: all depends on how big a hammer. Uh. The now 21 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:18,160 Speaker 1: the Southern District, and maybe the special prosecutor has if 22 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:22,720 Speaker 1: it's just the hundred thirty thousand campaign finance violation, and 23 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:26,160 Speaker 1: maybe there's a banking allegation there as well. Uh. I say, 24 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 1: just because in the scheme of things, that's not much, 25 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:32,320 Speaker 1: he might not be looking at at very much jail time. However, 26 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:36,399 Speaker 1: if they start getting into other transactions, uh and possible 27 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:40,480 Speaker 1: other frauds, then the impetus to cooperate is going to 28 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:43,319 Speaker 1: be strong. But you have to keep in mind that 29 00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:46,399 Speaker 1: if Mr Kohn does cooperate, the chances of a pardon 30 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:48,600 Speaker 1: obviously goes out the door. And at the end of 31 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:50,680 Speaker 1: the day, he's going to be a disbarred lawyer looking 32 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:54,040 Speaker 1: for work and he may want to favor from the president. Now, 33 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:56,280 Speaker 1: within just a couple of hours after that phone called 34 00:01:56,280 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 1: a Fox, attorneys were already drafting documents that were getting 35 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:02,560 Speaker 1: had to send things to court. Can you engauge just 36 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 1: how damaging or not that phone call might have been 37 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 1: for the president or from Michael Cohen. Well, certainly got 38 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:11,680 Speaker 1: rid of one check box that they have to do, 39 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:14,800 Speaker 1: which is that Cohen was representing the president in the 40 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:19,239 Speaker 1: story of McDaniel and story daniels transaction. Not that that's shocking. 41 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:22,400 Speaker 1: Obviously Cohn wasn't doing it for himself, but that just 42 00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:24,600 Speaker 1: gets that out of the out of the gate to 43 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:27,040 Speaker 1: begin with. So now we're left with two things. One 44 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:30,720 Speaker 1: either the president knew about the payment, in which case 45 00:02:30,720 --> 00:02:34,359 Speaker 1: it could be a campaign violation, or two that con 46 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:37,400 Speaker 1: did it on his own with his own money without 47 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 1: reimbursement from the president. I think it's doubtful it's number two, 48 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:43,400 Speaker 1: since I don't know many attorneys who are going to 49 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:45,760 Speaker 1: front a hundred and thirty thousand dollars with their client 50 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:48,680 Speaker 1: and not getting paid. That seems like it would be 51 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:52,320 Speaker 1: something that would be rather easy to prove, or am 52 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:55,880 Speaker 1: I wrong? You know what, with this set of prosecutors, 53 00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:57,680 Speaker 1: it probably is. I mean, it's not going to be 54 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 1: a check from the President's organization for a hundred third thousand, 55 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:05,000 Speaker 1: but it could easily be buried in UH an invoice 56 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:08,639 Speaker 1: from Mr Cohen to the Trump Organization for legal services. 57 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 1: That may be a little harder. You know, is there 58 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:13,360 Speaker 1: an extra hundred and thirty thousand dollars for research or 59 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:17,040 Speaker 1: for handling different cases? That's a little harder to dissect. Um, 60 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:19,880 Speaker 1: but we're still left with the I think a reasonable 61 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:23,560 Speaker 1: uh statement is is that again, no lawyer fronts that 62 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:26,360 Speaker 1: kind of money without getting reimbursed. It's just it makes 63 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:30,679 Speaker 1: no sense. Before all of this happened, I had never 64 00:03:30,760 --> 00:03:34,520 Speaker 1: heard of a special Master before. Uh. I love the 65 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:37,760 Speaker 1: title of it. It sounds like a special rank, maybe 66 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:40,480 Speaker 1: in the Navy or something. But the judge who has 67 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:43,800 Speaker 1: chosen has been chosen to be that special master. Um 68 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:46,520 Speaker 1: is Barbara Jones. And her reputation is that she cut 69 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:49,120 Speaker 1: her teeth as a mob prosecutor. Does that tell you 70 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 1: anything or is that just coincidence? Uh? No, that's coincidence. Uh. 71 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:58,480 Speaker 1: Barbara Jones, former prosecutor and federal judge. Uh So, when 72 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:01,120 Speaker 1: you're a prosecutor in New York City, the chances you're 73 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:04,040 Speaker 1: gonna do some organized crime cases are pretty good. Um. 74 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 1: Barbara's is a very well respected practitioner. Uh So, I 75 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:12,080 Speaker 1: think both sides can be comfortable that she's gonna call 76 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:15,840 Speaker 1: balls and strikes well. Jeff Stormy, Daniel's lawyer, asked to 77 00:04:15,880 --> 00:04:18,880 Speaker 1: be allowed to join the case because of evidence that 78 00:04:18,960 --> 00:04:22,200 Speaker 1: was seized from the raid on Cohen's office. Should he 79 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 1: be allowed to join the case? Uh, well, it's not 80 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 1: surprising he's trying to get some at least a seat 81 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:29,159 Speaker 1: at the table to see what's going on. I'm not 82 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 1: sure if he has any standing or not. And and 83 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:36,039 Speaker 1: the judge, Kimball would who's certainly handled her fair share 84 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:39,839 Speaker 1: of high profile matters, is being very careful, not surprisingly 85 00:04:39,839 --> 00:04:43,360 Speaker 1: and circumspect in this. So uh, it's so far it 86 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:46,920 Speaker 1: doesn't play out anyway. I'm not sure if again he 87 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:50,200 Speaker 1: has standing at this point. Uh, it depends on what 88 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:52,919 Speaker 1: documents are in there. But at least he's he's putting 89 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:55,680 Speaker 1: a pin uh in the dark board just to to 90 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:58,480 Speaker 1: to set his place there just in case. What is 91 00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:01,240 Speaker 1: the process from here on out? There seem to be 92 00:05:01,279 --> 00:05:05,159 Speaker 1: so many different layers and so many different strings going 93 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:08,760 Speaker 1: on to different cases and different um civil suits. It 94 00:05:08,839 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 1: all starts to get tangled up if you cannot keep 95 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:14,520 Speaker 1: track of it very clearly. So what is the process now? 96 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:18,560 Speaker 1: Walk us through? Yeah, it is very convoluted. You know 97 00:05:18,920 --> 00:05:21,680 Speaker 1: a lot of clowns under the circus tent right now. Um, 98 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:26,039 Speaker 1: so you have uh Trump's attorneys who wanted to and 99 00:05:26,080 --> 00:05:28,520 Speaker 1: the judge allow them to take a look at what's 100 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:30,240 Speaker 1: there so they can take a first pass at what 101 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:34,960 Speaker 1: they think might be privileged UM, and the prosecutors Southern 102 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:37,920 Speaker 1: District has said they would have a taint team UM 103 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:41,480 Speaker 1: to go through the items. But what's going to happen 104 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:45,000 Speaker 1: is that cons attorneys will look at it. Trump's attorneys 105 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:47,520 Speaker 1: will look at it. Prosecutors obviously know what they have 106 00:05:47,640 --> 00:05:51,680 Speaker 1: for the most part um. But then uh, judge Judge 107 00:05:51,760 --> 00:05:54,800 Speaker 1: or Judge Jones, Jones will look at it and decide 108 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:57,840 Speaker 1: what is privileged and what is not and then give 109 00:05:57,880 --> 00:06:01,040 Speaker 1: it to the Southern District prosecute or so in a 110 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:04,440 Speaker 1: normal case, not many normal things here, there would be 111 00:06:04,440 --> 00:06:08,280 Speaker 1: what's called a paint team, prosecutors and agents not associated 112 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:11,880 Speaker 1: with the case in chief reviewing items. The judges kind 113 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:14,080 Speaker 1: of removed that from the prosecutors, and I'm going to 114 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:17,359 Speaker 1: have Barbara Jones look at it and then decide what 115 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:21,200 Speaker 1: prosecutors can look at and what they cannot. So, Jeff 116 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:26,000 Speaker 1: during that interview yesterday on Fox Trump hinted that he 117 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:30,400 Speaker 1: may intervene in the Justice Department's Russia investigation, which he 118 00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:33,800 Speaker 1: has hinted at before. But did that that that's to 119 00:06:33,839 --> 00:06:35,720 Speaker 1: send you any you know, do you have any more 120 00:06:35,760 --> 00:06:40,000 Speaker 1: additional concerns because of this Cone probe that he might 121 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:45,159 Speaker 1: do that. You know what, I think any anyone who's 122 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:47,400 Speaker 1: been involved in the system, and any former prosecutor, that's 123 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:49,960 Speaker 1: what said a chill down their spine when the President 124 00:06:50,040 --> 00:06:52,159 Speaker 1: United States that they're going to take over parts of 125 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:55,200 Speaker 1: the Justice Department. And if it came from any other president, 126 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:58,960 Speaker 1: I think be front page news. But because this president 127 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:02,159 Speaker 1: is is somewhat free his language and probably doesn't mean 128 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:05,520 Speaker 1: eight tenths of what he says, you take it with 129 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:07,360 Speaker 1: a grain assault. Like I said, if it had been 130 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:10,880 Speaker 1: any other president in our lifetime that made that statement, 131 00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:14,440 Speaker 1: it would be shocking. That bar of shocking is it's 132 00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:17,480 Speaker 1: pretty far right, it's pretty high right now. So is 133 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:19,760 Speaker 1: he going to take over the Justice Department? No? Is 134 00:07:19,760 --> 00:07:23,640 Speaker 1: he just you know, pontificating that thirty minute rant. Absolutely, 135 00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:29,000 Speaker 1: and you'll be aware that today he said again during 136 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:32,800 Speaker 1: his meeting with Angela Merkel, referring to that committee report. 137 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:37,160 Speaker 1: Again he said, no collusion, no collusion. Thank you. Jeff Kramer, 138 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:40,200 Speaker 1: as always, he's the managing director of the Berkeley Research 139 00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:48,320 Speaker 1: Group and a former Dead World prosecutor. Speaking at an 140 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:52,920 Speaker 1: infrastructure event in Richfield, Ohio, last month, President Trump thanked 141 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:57,040 Speaker 1: President Obama for leaving so many judicial posts open for 142 00:07:57,160 --> 00:08:01,480 Speaker 1: the Trump administration to fill. We were left judges. They're 143 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:06,040 Speaker 1: the ones that judge on your disputes. They judge on 144 00:08:06,280 --> 00:08:09,160 Speaker 1: what's fair, on the environment, and what's not fair, where 145 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:12,080 Speaker 1: they're going to take your farms and factories away and 146 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:16,840 Speaker 1: where they're not. Amazing, it was the gift kind of 147 00:08:17,040 --> 00:08:20,600 Speaker 1: despite congressional gridlock, President Trump and Mitch McConnell's seeing some 148 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:25,120 Speaker 1: success confirming federal court nominees, filling the US judiciary with 149 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:28,640 Speaker 1: young conservatives who can actually shape American law for generations 150 00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:31,920 Speaker 1: to come. Laura lit Van covers Congress for Bloomberg News, 151 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:33,840 Speaker 1: and she joins us now to clear a few things 152 00:08:33,920 --> 00:08:36,560 Speaker 1: up in our Bloomberg ninety nine one studios in Washington. 153 00:08:36,720 --> 00:08:39,120 Speaker 1: Let's talk about first what the President did say that 154 00:08:39,160 --> 00:08:44,360 Speaker 1: this was a gift, but it wasn't a gift. Actually 155 00:08:44,440 --> 00:08:47,920 Speaker 1: it was something else. Well, it was a strategy really. 156 00:08:47,960 --> 00:08:50,960 Speaker 1: I mean, we see in both parties in recent decades 157 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:55,800 Speaker 1: a growing determination as one presidency starts to end too 158 00:08:56,080 --> 00:08:58,920 Speaker 1: if one party, the other party will hold the Senate 159 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:01,720 Speaker 1: to delay things and keep things open. So what we 160 00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:05,199 Speaker 1: had happened under at the end of Obama's term was 161 00:09:05,280 --> 00:09:08,640 Speaker 1: not only the Supreme Court vacancy after Justice Scalia passed 162 00:09:08,640 --> 00:09:11,120 Speaker 1: away that was kept open, but also a lot of 163 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:13,520 Speaker 1: people don't realize this, but there were a hundred eight 164 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:16,520 Speaker 1: judge ships vacant when Trump came in, as partly because 165 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:20,880 Speaker 1: the Republicans in the Senate used every available opportunity to 166 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:23,840 Speaker 1: try to delay some of the Obama pics. There are 167 00:09:23,880 --> 00:09:28,200 Speaker 1: only two Circuit court judges approved under President Obama's last 168 00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:32,760 Speaker 1: two years and eighteen district court judges. That's a trickle, Laura. 169 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:36,880 Speaker 1: Let's talk about the judges themselves, except in a few cases. 170 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:41,079 Speaker 1: The judicial nominations contrast with some of the other nominations 171 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:45,320 Speaker 1: that Trump the Trump administration has put forward. Are the 172 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:53,360 Speaker 1: candidates being vetted or suggested by outside conservative groups, well, um, 173 00:09:53,480 --> 00:09:58,840 Speaker 1: the the Federalist Society. The executive vice president of that 174 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:02,920 Speaker 1: organization is operating, as he says, separately as an advisor 175 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:05,480 Speaker 1: to the White House, because that group doesn't make recommendations, 176 00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:08,640 Speaker 1: but certainly he's taking his perspective in there. And there's 177 00:10:08,679 --> 00:10:11,960 Speaker 1: other people advising the White House. Um, and you know, 178 00:10:12,040 --> 00:10:15,160 Speaker 1: the White House Council McGann is working closely with Mitch 179 00:10:15,200 --> 00:10:19,120 Speaker 1: McConnell's office as they're ferreting through all the potential nominees 180 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:22,640 Speaker 1: very closely, looking for the right kind of conservative, originalist 181 00:10:22,760 --> 00:10:25,360 Speaker 1: kind of perspective that they want to bring to the courts. Okay, 182 00:10:25,360 --> 00:10:27,520 Speaker 1: so you had said that there were more than one 183 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:30,400 Speaker 1: hundred vacancies, Is that right? How many judges are we 184 00:10:30,440 --> 00:10:33,400 Speaker 1: talking about and how much difference is this ultimately going 185 00:10:33,440 --> 00:10:37,840 Speaker 1: to make? Well, what we're seeing so far is um 186 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:40,480 Speaker 1: you know, a great impact on the appellate courts. Fifteen 187 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:45,040 Speaker 1: circuit court judges uh have been confirmed so far this year. 188 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:48,240 Speaker 1: That's a very high level UM and we've had seventeen 189 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:50,840 Speaker 1: trial court judges of course, course that's brought onto the courts. 190 00:10:51,080 --> 00:10:53,640 Speaker 1: That the appellate court number is very important because so 191 00:10:53,679 --> 00:10:56,040 Speaker 1: many cases go no further than the appellate courts. We 192 00:10:56,040 --> 00:10:58,640 Speaker 1: have about maybe eight cases every year decided by the 193 00:10:58,640 --> 00:11:02,920 Speaker 1: Supreme Court. Last or fifty nine cases we're just decided 194 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:07,080 Speaker 1: by the thirteen appellate courts. Laura, the appellate courts are 195 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:11,480 Speaker 1: so important in in decision making because they're the last 196 00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:14,120 Speaker 1: step before the Supreme Court, and so few cases get 197 00:11:14,160 --> 00:11:17,680 Speaker 1: to the Supreme Court. But how close are they to 198 00:11:17,760 --> 00:11:21,120 Speaker 1: actually turning those appellate courts to conservative It takes a 199 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:24,800 Speaker 1: long time, it certainly does. But that number fifteen is 200 00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:28,160 Speaker 1: much better than we've seen under the last five presidents. Um, 201 00:11:28,280 --> 00:11:32,840 Speaker 1: and there's more activity coming. Yesterday the President nominated eight 202 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:35,800 Speaker 1: more judges at the circuit district court level as Congress 203 00:11:35,880 --> 00:11:38,959 Speaker 1: was leaving town for recess, and Mitch McConnell, the majority 204 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:43,000 Speaker 1: leader in the Senate, filed uh took steps in the 205 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:46,000 Speaker 1: process to tee up votes when the Senate comes back 206 00:11:46,040 --> 00:11:49,160 Speaker 1: on six more circuit court judges. Okay, let's take a 207 00:11:49,160 --> 00:11:52,640 Speaker 1: step back, take a wide broad view of this. How 208 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:56,640 Speaker 1: this ranks in terms of accomplishments of the Trump administration. 209 00:11:57,160 --> 00:12:00,800 Speaker 1: How the base feels about it. Is this somethinging that 210 00:12:00,920 --> 00:12:03,520 Speaker 1: they would notice, they would recognize, and that they would support. 211 00:12:03,559 --> 00:12:05,440 Speaker 1: I mean, is this right up there with tax cuts. 212 00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:09,680 Speaker 1: It has an even longer lasting impact potentially because so 213 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:13,359 Speaker 1: many of these judges are young in their forties and fifties, 214 00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:17,240 Speaker 1: and the tax legislation it could be reversed if Democrats 215 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:21,960 Speaker 1: retake the Senate. These judges don't have lifetime appointments, and uh, 216 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:24,800 Speaker 1: you know, there's differing views about this. This is the 217 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:27,880 Speaker 1: activity has won over a lot of conservative critics of 218 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:32,160 Speaker 1: the president. Uh, the outside groups on the progressive side 219 00:12:32,160 --> 00:12:34,719 Speaker 1: are deeply concerned. They say these judges could roll back 220 00:12:34,760 --> 00:12:38,360 Speaker 1: civil rights protections, consumer protections, bring up much more pro 221 00:12:38,480 --> 00:12:44,359 Speaker 1: business perspective to courts. Um, gay rights could be at risk. So, um, 222 00:12:44,400 --> 00:12:46,240 Speaker 1: but this is a this is a big deal. This 223 00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:48,880 Speaker 1: could even be bigger than the tax bill. So, Laura, 224 00:12:49,559 --> 00:12:53,360 Speaker 1: look at the demographics of this and Obama tried to 225 00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:57,520 Speaker 1: get diversity on the federal bench. What's happening now. Um, 226 00:12:57,559 --> 00:13:00,240 Speaker 1: there's a very sharp contrast between lot Obama was doing 227 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:02,760 Speaker 1: in terms of the judges he was nominating and got through, 228 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:07,440 Speaker 1: compared to what we're seeing under Trump. For instance, under Obama, 229 00:13:07,559 --> 00:13:11,480 Speaker 1: we'll take the circuit court numbers, we had about seventy 230 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:16,800 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, of the circuit court judges confirmed so far 231 00:13:16,880 --> 00:13:20,560 Speaker 1: are white males under Obama was just thirty three. Obama 232 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:23,360 Speaker 1: was trying to reverse what he saw under George W. Bush, 233 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:28,240 Speaker 1: which was a sixty uh for white male judges confirmed. 234 00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:31,679 Speaker 1: And so it's kind of gone back and then some Alright, 235 00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:35,160 Speaker 1: Laura la Van Bloomberg News Congressional reporter a terrific story 236 00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:38,440 Speaker 1: about this very issue on the Bloomberg terminal. I encouraged 237 00:13:38,480 --> 00:13:41,480 Speaker 1: to check it out. Thanks so much, Laura. Thanks for 238 00:13:41,559 --> 00:13:44,800 Speaker 1: listening to the Bloomberg Law podcast. You can subscribe and 239 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:48,120 Speaker 1: listen to the show on Apple podcast, SoundCloud, and on 240 00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:52,920 Speaker 1: Bloomberg dot com slash podcast. I'm June Basso. This is 241 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:57,120 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Ye.