Trump Comments on Kavanaugh Controversy
LYNN SWEET, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, "CHICAGO SUN-TIMES": As if he can order them around as a personal investigative force. He also asked that President Obama be investigated. So we should take note too that in his response to Kavanaugh also reveals a not normal, not correct way of using the Justice Department.</s>JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. To Lynn's point, Daniel Strauss, this is not the first time the president has called on the Justice Department to investigate a political opponent. And there's some evidence that the Justice Department has heeded hose calls at times. What's the significance?</s>DANIEL STRAUSS, POLITICS REPORTER, "POLITICO": I mean, look, this is -- this shows that once again President Trump kind of views the Department of Justice as the White House's or his own personal legal arm. And that's not the DOJ's job. This is a continuation of that. This is what -- this is a lot like what he would urge Jeff Sessions to do with the Russia investigation. But I think for both Republicans and Democrats, there's a no-lose sort of situation here. On the one hand, as Lynn said, the 2020 Democratic candidates, there's really no downside for calling for Kavanaugh's impeachment, and for Trump and Republicans, who really galvanized around Supreme Court appointments, this is an example -- yet another opportunity for them to rally behind Kavanaugh.</s>SCIUTTO: Yes. The easiest thing to do in Washington is call for something with no consequences.</s>STRAUSS: Yes.</s>POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: There you go. I do think, Lynn, you know, it's not surprising to see the president this outspoken on it, taking to Twitter this much on this, because the Supreme Court was a big reason for and a big part of, you know, revving up his base for his win in 2016 and getting so many appointments, both, you know, the Supreme Court, but also federal judges, you know, is something the president's going to tout and tout very loudly as he continues his run for 2020.</s>SWEET: That's so correct. That is one of his bedrock achievements, indisputable, and he bragged about it again in a tweet this morning. It's an often -- it's an often cited accomplishment from the president of some hundred plus, maybe 150, judges, more in the pipeline. Confirming judges is just about the only thing that the Senate is able to do now. And the judges under the Supreme Court, the appellate and U.S. district court judges, in some ways are almost as important as the Supreme Court justices because they are lifetime appointments. Those people will endure and rule for decades after Trump leaves office.</s>SCIUTTO: Yes. And, Daniel, there's a reason the president tweets about that often, right, because he -- that is perhaps the most concrete takeaway from his presidency, is it not?</s>STRAUSS: Yes, look, I mean, the Supreme Court justices and judicial appointments are really what rallied evangelicals around to President Trump during the 2016 campaign. And he knows that is a key group he needs to secure and really maintain his popularity among Republicans. And it is really an accomplishment on his part. He's moved -- he's confirmed more judges than President Obama. And he takes great pride in that. And it's something that even moderate Republicans or Republicans who really wouldn't like President Trump otherwise see as valuable in his presidency.</s>SCIUTTO: Lynn Sweet, Daniel Strauss, good to have both of you.</s>HARLOW: Thank you both.</s>STRAUSS: Thank you.</s>SCIUTTO: Could the attack on a Saudi Arabian oil facility draw the United States further into a growing conflict in the Middle East, perhaps even military action? We're going to speak to a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee about the dangers of all of this coming up next.