Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch is under fire for a speech he gave at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. Critics say that Gorsuch’s attendance at an event held on Trump property constitutes a serious ethics violation.
Protesters descended upon the hotel Thursday, loudly railing against the justice. Gorsuch arrived a few hours later and gave a perfectly bland, inoffensive speech.
“Those with whom we disagree vehemently still have the best interests of the country at heart,” Gorsuch intoned. “We have to learn not only to tolerate different points of view but to cherish the din of democracy … It’s not just about good manners and courtesy. It’s about keeping our republic.”
Liberals, however, are still pissed. The Trump family benefits financially from events held on their properties, a fact that Democrats say should have prevented Gorsuch from accepting the invitation.
“Who is Gorsuch? Such a sellout,” the agitators chanted.
The event organizers insist that nothing nefarious happened.
“We had no political agenda — it’s just a nice hotel and a new venue for us,” Steve Slattery, spokesman for the conservative Fund for American Studies, said.
The controversy centers around the lawsuits filed against Trump. Democrats claim that Gorsuch sacrificed his impartiality by appearing at a Trump hotel event.
“He’s helping a conservative organization put money into the pockets of the president who put him on the bench. And that doesn’t really give a strong sense of independence from that president,” Elizabeth Wydra, president of the nonprofit think tank the Constitutional Accountability Center, said.
“You have the Trump hotel at the center of at least three lawsuits filed against President Trump for violating the Constitution’s foreign emoluments clause … It’s certainly not a good look.”
Today Neil Gorsuch is giving a speech at tRump hotel, i.e., a speech that will profit tRump. Totally unethical! #GorsuchRecuse
— Tonya 🇺🇸 🏳️🌈 💙 (@mystcole) September 28, 2017
(Source: New York Times, Business Insider)