Republican Sen. Ben Sasse took issue with President Donald Trump’s characterization of a “so-called judge,” who is temporarily thwarting his immigration and refugee ban.
“We don’t have so-called judges, we don’t have so-called senators, we don’t have so-called presidents,” Sasse said on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday. “We have people from three different branches of government who take an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution. And it’s important that we do better civics education for our kids.”
Trump originally referred to US District Judge James Robart, who issued the hold on the contentious executive order on Friday evening, as a “so-called judge,” and he kept attacking his credibility in tweets this weekend.
“Just cannot believe a judge would put our country in such peril. If something happens blame him and court system. People pouring in. Bad!” Trump said in one message.
Sasse, from Nebraska, is a prominent Trump critic but is also perceived as a young, rising star in the GOP. Trump opponents during the general election at one point sought to recruit Sasse to run as a third-party candidate.
But Sasse has offered effusive praise for Trump’s recent Supreme Court selection, Neil Gorsuch.