Donald Trump included Utah senator Mike Lee, one of his toughest conservative critics, to his expanded list of possible Supreme Court nominees on Friday.
Despite having worked to unbind delegates pledged to Trump during the Republican convention and questioned the candidate’s positions and behavior, Lee now finds himself among a group of 21 individuals Trump has now proposed as hypothetical picks for the High Court.
Early Friday, a spokesman for Lee said the senator “already has the job he wants” in the high chamber. But Lee was gracious in a statement his office attributed to him.
“The Supreme Court is very important and I appreciate being considered. Right now I’m focused on my job in the Senate, where I’m in a good position to defend the Constitution by fighting against government overreach,” the senator said through a spokesman. “Both lists that I’ve seen from the Trump campaign are fantastic. While my brother and I might disagree as to which list is better, they’re both great.”
Lee’s brother, Utah Supreme Court justice Thomas Lee, was included with an initial list of Trump’s potential Supreme Court choices in May.
The one-term senator, who is a shoo-in for reelection this year, hasn’t endorsed Trump for president. The last time he crossed paths with the campaign in a high-profile setting was at his policy forum three weeks ago, when he hosted a speech from vice-presidential candidate Mike Pence. “Support for a running mate is not quite the same as any decision one might make about the presidential candidate,” Lee said to local media at the time.
