The White House is standing firm in its support of controversial judicial nominee Adeel Mangi for the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals despite calls from Republicans, including Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lindsey Graham, to withdraw the nomination. Mangi’s affiliation with the Rutgers University Center for Security, Race and Rights (CSRR), accused of antisemitism, and the Alliance of Families for Justice (AFJ), linked to cop killers, has raised concerns among Republicans. Despite losing support from some Democratic senators, the White House continues to lobby for Mangi’s confirmation.
Mangi’s ties to CSRR, where controversial speakers have been featured, and AFJ, whose founding member was involved in a deadly armored truck robbery, have drawn criticism. Pressure from Republican lawmakers and an ad campaign from the Judicial Crisis Network have caused some Democratic senators, including Catherine Cortez Masto, Jacky Rosen, and Joe Manchin, to voice opposition to Mangi’s nomination. The White House remains committed to supporting Mangi, emphasizing his qualifications and the historic significance of his potential appointment as the first Muslim federal appellate court judge.
The White House, through officials such as White House chief of staff Jeff Zients and White House Counsel Ed Siskel, continues to defend Mangi against what they call false accusations and a smear campaign. Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin has also criticized the treatment of Mangi, suggesting that opposition to his confirmation is rooted in his Muslim identity. If the nomination is not scheduled for a confirmation vote by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in 2024, it will expire, requiring Mangi to be renominated in the next Congress. Despite the ongoing support from the White House, some experts believe the nomination may not survive a Senate confirmation vote.
Republican strategist Ron Bonjean, a former spokesman to Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, believes that Mangi’s nomination is unlikely to succeed without a more aggressive defense from the White House. Bonjean, who has experience in communications for Senate confirmation processes, suggests that Biden’s administration should reconsider its strategy regarding Mangi’s nomination. Without changes, the nomination may be doomed. Mangi himself did not provide a comment to Fox News Digital on the ongoing controversy surrounding his nomination.
The battle over Adeel Mangi’s confirmation to the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals highlights the contentious nature of judicial nominations in the current political climate. While the White House is pushing for Mangi’s confirmation and dismissing criticism as a smear campaign, opposition from both Republican and Democratic senators raises doubts about the nominee’s prospects. The ongoing debate underscores the importance of judicial appointments and the impact they can have on the makeup of the judiciary. The ultimate fate of Mangi’s nomination remains uncertain as the Senate awaits potential confirmation votes in the coming months.
