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Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020

Does the ABA find a big difference in the number of “well-qualified” judges nominated by Trump compared to Obama?

Cory Dawson, Gigafact
no

Both Donald Trump and Barack Obama have nominated "well-qualified" judges nearly 70% of the time, according to American Bar Association data analyzed by this reviewer.

The ABA, which represents the whole of the U.S. legal profession, has been offering advice to the Senate about presidents' nominees to fill vacancies on federal courts since the Eisenhower era. The ABA considered more than 250 Obama nominees well-qualified during his two terms; the Trump Administration has so far nominated more than 170 candidates with the same rating.

The ABA flagged nine Trump picks as "not qualified." None of Obama's nominees received that mark.

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