Durbin Speaks Out Against Justin Smith’s Nomination, Slams Trump For Nominating His Personal Lawyers To The Federal Bench

June 15, 2026 Durbin Speaks Out Against Justin Smith’s Nomination, Slams Trump For Nominating His Personal Lawyers To The Federal Bench Durbin on Justin Smith’s nomination: “This kind of conflict of interest raises serious questions. These are lifetime appointments to federal judgeships—lifetime appointments which have to be given to people who have been carefully scrutinized.” WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke against the nomination of Justin Smith to be on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Durbin outlined how Mr. Smith has repeatedly proven himself to be unfit for this position because of his extreme partisan beliefs, his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, and his history as the President’s personal lawyer. Durbin began by raising alarms about the Trump Administration’s politicization of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the judicial branch, which the President has used to shield himself from legal accountability and remove barriers to his extremist policies. Mr. Smith is currently representing President Trump in his civil cases against E. Jean Carroll, who is one of the dozens of women who have bravely come forward to credibly accuse the President of sexual assault. “The Senate will soon vote on the confirmation of one of the President’s personal attorneys to a federal appellate court…It was previously unheard of for a President to do anything like this, but those rules are out the window… That is why he nominated Todd Blanche, who represented him in cases that were filed against him, to serve as the next Attorney General. And that is why President Trump nominated Justin Smith, who is currently representing him in civil cases brought by E. Jean Carroll,” Durbin began. “This kind of conflict of interest raises serious questions. These are lifetime appointments to federal judgeships—lifetime appointments which have to be given to people who have been carefully scrutinized,” Dubin concluded his remarks. Last month, Durbin grilled Mr. Smith during his hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. During the hearing, Durbin pressed Mr. Smith on his efforts to perpetuate the President’s Big Lie, including his efforts in the Missouri Attorney General’s Office to challenge the results of the 2020 election. Beyond his history of serving as the President’s personal attorney and attempting to discredit the 2020 election, Mr. Smith also holds extreme beliefs that prove he is too partisan to serve on the federal bench. Mr. Smith has been public about these beliefs, writing in a blog post: “The Republican Party must have positions painted in bold colors on the critical issues that face this country. Abortion is murder. Gay marriage is sin.” When asked whether he still holds those beliefs on abortion and same-sex marriage, Mr. Smith refused to condemn his previous statements or indicate his views had changed. Durbin has also raised concerns about Mr. Smith’s connections to right-wing political affiliations and ties to dark money entities. Mr. Smith has volunteered on dozens of Republican campaigns and participated in numerous events sponsored by conservative groups. He has also served as a board member of several Republican-aligned organizations, including a super-PAC and entities affiliated with Leonard Leo, Co-Chairman of the Federalist Society. When asked if his affiliation with these right-wing groups would impact his ability to be objective while serving on the federal bench, Mr. Smith provided an unconvincing commitment to being fair and impartial if confirmed. Video of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here . Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here . Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations. -30- Print Email Share Tweet