Biden Abandons Plan to Name Antiabortion Judge Backed by McConnell

The Biden administration is seemingly doubling-down on its bid to nominate, for a lifetime appointment, an anti-choice federal judge in Kentucky despite backlash from progressives, abortion rights activists, and even the most conservative Democrats in Washington. Once again, President Biden shows he cares more about his donors and BFF Mitch McConnell than regular American citizens. Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian discuss on The Young Turks. Watch LIVE weekdays 6-8 pm

"President Joe Biden is not backing off plans to nominate an anti-abortion attorney to a lifetime federal judgeship in Kentucky, despite strong opposition from Democrats and reproductive rights groups, according to a source recently briefed on the White House’s plans.

White House officials have refused to talk about Chad Meredith ever since the Louisville Courier-Journal reported late last month that he is the president’s pick for a soon-to-be vacant U.S. District Court seat in eastern Kentucky. The newspaper even provided copies of June 23 emails from the White House to Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) confirming Biden’s plan to nominate Meredith, a member of the conservative Federalist Society who has fought abortion rights.

The White House initially told Beshear that Meredith would be nominated the next day, on June 24. But that turned out to be the day the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and the nomination didn’t happen. Now it’s just crickets.

“I’m just not ― we just don’t comment on ― on vacancies, whether executive branch or judicial, in situations where we have not made a nomination,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Wednesday, when asked about Meredith. “We just have not made a nomination on this yet.”"