Debbie Young
On one level, the Barrett hearing was about the nominee, argues Kimberley Strassel in the WSJ.
On another, it was a moment for the White House to highlight an overlooked fact: The president has largely fulfilled his campaign pledges, in particular on judicial nominations.
Mr. Trump won over any number of uncertain voters in 2016 with a pledge to put qualified originalist judges on the federal courts. More than 200 appointments later—soon to include a third Supreme Court justice—voters this week were reminded that the stakes in this election transcend Mr. Trump’s tweets.
As important, the hearing was a visual riposte to the left’s wild claims. Democrats decried Judge Barrett as an extremist and a Trump crony who would corruptly serve the president’s interests. But roll the tape. Americans for three days watched a talented jurist answering complex questions without notes, expressing her love for her family and country, and promising her fidelity to the Constitution and the rule of law.
If the Trump campaign focuses on the President’s latest tweet, it will be “a slog,” continues Ms. Strassel.
An election that is about Mr. Trump’s record, his campaign promises kept, his vow to restore the economy—as well his opponent’s radicalism—is something else entirely.
Judge Barrett managed to keep the focus on what mattered—record, philosophy, the big picture. Mr. Trump’s future hinges on his ability to do the same.
