Earlier this week, President Trump nominated district-judge Halil Suleyman Ozerden to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. When Ozerden was discussed as a nominee last year, some conservatives (including Carrie Severino, writing in NRO) expressed concern. Eliana Johnson and Marianne Levine report for Politico (and I can confirm) that the concern has extended into the White House counsel’s office, “in part due to the high rate at which his opinions have been overturned on appeal, particularly by judges held in high esteem in conservative legal circles.”


But Ozerden has his fans, too. Mick Mulvaney, the acting White House chief of staff, is a personal friend. Senator Roger Wicker calls him a strong conservative. Legal expert Josh Blackman has cautioned conservatives not to fight the nomination, writing, “Not every pick can be a grand slam.”