Donald Trump issued a list of possible nominations to the Supreme Court during his campaign. | AP Photo Judicial Crisis Network already running ads ahead of Trump SCOTUS pick

The air war over Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee is already beginning, less than two weeks after the election.

The conservative Judicial Crisis Network is launching an ad buy of more than $175,000 to applaud Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) for holding the line against President Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland. Grassley never allowed Garland a Senate hearing, and even drew a general election opponent, Patty Judge, who targeted him over his obstruction of the Supreme Court vacancy left by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.


Now JCN, which spent more than $5 million encouraging Republicans and moderate Democrats to block Garland, is running TV and digital ads in Iowa and Washington, D.C., aimed at bolstering Grassley's resolve ahead of the next fight: Confirming Trump's nominee.

“They said it would be too hard. A risky gamble. They said he would have to give in and approve Obama’s liberal Supreme Court nominee. Liberals attacked him over and over. But Senator Grassley stood strong, protected the Supreme Court during a heated presidential campaign," reads the ad's narrator. "Senator Grassley’s been fighting for Iowa’s conservative values for years. This year, he led the fight for the rule of law and made us proud. Tell Senator Grassley thank you.”

The ad may end up being just the opening salvo in what could be a bruising confirmation fight, and the deep-pocketed JCN could launch further campaigns to aid Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in confirming Trump's justices, sources said.

"The president and the Senate have the opportunity to nominate and confirm a Supreme Court justice that protects our founding document from overreach and liberal interpretation in a way that honors the late Justice Scalia’s legacy of jurisprudence,” said JCN chief counsel Carrie Severino.