Trump ‘disappointed’ in Justice Kavanaugh: ‘He … hasn’t had the courage’

Former President Trump told journalist and author Michael Wolff that he’s “disappointed” in Supreme Court Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, Mr. Trump’s second appointment to the high court.

The former president expressed frustration with Justice Kavanaugh’s rulings and included his two other appointees, Justices Neil M. Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, in his overall disappointment — but he was especially bitter towards Justice Kavanaugh, according to Mr. Wolff’s latest book, “Landslide: The Final Days of the Trump Presidency,” to be released this month.

In excerpts about Justice Kavanaugh reported by Axios on Tuesday, Mr. Trump told the writer, “I am very disappointed in him, in his rulings.”

“I can’t even believe what’s happening. I’m very disappointed in Kavanaugh. I just told you something I haven’t told a lot of people. In retrospect, he just hasn’t had the courage you need to be a great justice. I’m basing this on more than just the election,” Mr. Trump said.

The former president took legal challenges to the 2020 election to the high court, but the justices declined to hear the cases.

Mr. Trump said he was pressured during Justice Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing to withdraw the nominee and replace him with someone else after a decades-old, unsubstantiated allegation of sexual misconduct was launched against him. Justice Kavanaugh has denied any wrongdoing.

“Practically every senator called me … and said, ’Cut him loose, sir, cut him loose. He’s killing us, Kavanaugh.’ … I said, ’I can’t do that,’” Mr. Trump told Mr. Wolff.

“I had plenty of time to pick somebody else,” Mr. Trump said. “I went through that thing and fought like hell for Kavanaugh — and I saved his life, and I saved his career. At great expense to myself … OK? I fought for that guy and kept him.”

Mr. Wolff has written three books about Mr. Trump’s time in office: “Fire and Fury,” “Siege” and most recently “Landslide.”