Spicer: Where Was the ‘Outrage’ from the Press When Obama Attacked SCOTUS?

BRENNAN In that lunch ░░░░░░░░ the president said that ░░░░░░░░ basically said Senator Blumenthal ░░░░░░░░ comments were taken out ░░░░░░░░ context and that SPICER ░░░░░░░░ Judge Gorsuch s comments ░░░░░░░░ Yeah His relaying of ░░░░░░░░ Gorsuch s comments were ░░░░░░░░ out of context However ░░░░░░░░ Ayotte who is working ░░░░░░░░ the White House to ░░░░░░░░ shepherd Judge Gorsuch through ░░░░░░░░ Hill released a statement ░░░░░░░░ those same remarks disheartening ░░░░░░░░ demoralizing Is the president ░░░░░░░░ of that SPICER Of ░░░░░░░░ he s aware of ░░░░░░░░ This is what Senator ░░░░░░░░ said Judge Gorsuch made ░░░░░░░░ clear in all of ░░░░░░░░ discussions with senators including ░░░░░░░░ Blumenthal that he could ░░░░░░░░ comment on specific cases ░░░░░░░░ that judicial ethics prevent ░░░░░░░░ from commenting on political ░░░░░░░░ He has also emphasized ░░░░░░░░ importance of an independent ░░░░░░░░ and while he made ░░░░░░░░ that he was not ░░░░░░░░ any specific case he ░░░░░░░░ that he finds any ░░░░░░░░ of a judge s ░░░░░░░░ and independence disheartening and ░░░░░░░░ So there s a ░░░░░░░░ difference on commenting on ░░░░░░░░ specific comments that have ░░░░░░░░ made in a tweet ░░░░░░░░ his general philosophy about ░░░░░░░░ judiciary and his respect ░░░░░░░░ his fellow judges And ░░░░░░░░ think the senator s ░░░░░░░░ were very clear about ░░░░░░░░ those are two distinct ░░░░░░░░ BRENNAN Right And the ░░░░░░░░ s comments as related ░░░░░░░░ others were also in ░░░░░░░░ context of the president ░░░░░░░░ attack on the judiciary ░░░░░░░░ is what the senators ░░░░░░░░ just read out was ░░░░░░░░ talking about there Was ░░░░░░░░ president aware of that ░░░░░░░░ Senator Ayotte was sitting ░░░░░░░░ across from him when ░░░░░░░░ said that those comments ░░░░░░░░ t accurately reported SPICER ░░░░░░░░ way that Senator Blumenthal ░░░░░░░░ them he was talking ░░░░░░░░ the tweets saying that ░░░░░░░░ was disheartened That s ░░░░░░░░ what the judge said ░░░░░░░░ was making two very ░░░░░░░░ distinct arguments about how ░░░░░░░░ views the comments that ░░░░░░░░ should not be commenting ░░░░░░░░ a political matter or ░░░░░░░░ things But as a ░░░░░░░░ he doesn t like ░░░░░░░░ in general on the ░░░░░░░░ It was a very ░░░░░░░░ argument that he was ░░░░░░░░ I think that s ░░░░░░░░ we have to be ░░░░░░░░ That s what the ░░░░░░░░ Ayotte was saying this ░░░░░░░░ Very different BRENNAN Is ░░░░░░░░ taking that on board ░░░░░░░░ just said he doesn ░░░░░░░░ regret his past attacks ░░░░░░░░ the judiciary But now ░░░░░░░░ have these confirmed remarks ░░░░░░░░ you were saying were ░░░░░░░░ what the judge was ░░░░░░░░ about SPICER No no ░░░░░░░░ on Again I think ░░░░░░░░ s important to understand ░░░░░░░░ the judge was very ░░░░░░░░ that he was not ░░░░░░░░ on any specific matter ░░░░░░░░ And then he was ░░░░░░░░ about his general philosophy ░░░░░░░░ you can t then ░░░░░░░░ that equate it back ░░░░░░░░ the specifics He literally ░░░░░░░░ out of his way ░░░░░░░░ say I m not ░░░░░░░░ on a specific instance ░░░░░░░░ to take what he ░░░░░░░░ about a generalization and ░░░░░░░░ to it a specific ░░░░░░░░ exactly what he was ░░░░░░░░ not to do BRENNAN ░░░░░░░░ the President will continue ░░░░░░░░ speak like this SPICER ░░░░░░░░ course he will The ░░░░░░░░ will speak his mind ░░░░░░░░ goes back to Thomas ░░░░░░░░ that presidents have commented ░░░░░░░░ judiciary nominees I mean ░░░░░░░░ idea of one branch ░░░░░░░░ about or commenting on ░░░░░░░░ branch is as old ░░░░░░░░ our republic So I ░░░░░░░░ t know why I ░░░░░░░░ it interesting When President ░░░░░░░░ criticized the Supreme Court ░░░░░░░░ his Citizens United comments ░░░░░░░░ the State of the ░░░░░░░░ there wasn t a ░░░░░░░░ concern about that The ░░░░░░░░ that this is BRENNAN ░░░░░░░░ there is a so ░░░░░░░░ judge portion It s ░░░░░░░░ SPICER But at some ░░░░░░░░ it seems like there ░░░░░░░░ clearly a double standard ░░░░░░░░ this is applied When ░░░░░░░░ Obama did it there ░░░░░░░░ no concern from this ░░░░░░░░ room When he does ░░░░░░░░ it s a ton ░░░░░░░░ outrage With all due ░░░░░░░░ I think the President ░░░░░░░░ made very clear that ░░░░░░░░ was concerned about how ░░░░░░░░ executive order in particular ░░░░░░░░ is what we re ░░░░░░░░ about was applied We ░░░░░░░░ addressed it from this ░░░░░░░░ room over and over ░░░░░░░░ over again that the ░░░░░░░░ S Code gives the ░░░░░░░░ very clear authority to ░░░░░░░░ this happen.”