Hi, I’m Dylan and I am starting a column on what President Trump has been been doing in the White House during the past week. Two things that Trump has done in the past week have been his nomination of a Supreme Court Justice to fill Justice Scalia’s vacated position and his Executive Order on immigration.
Yesterday, January 31, President Trump nominated Neil Gorsuch for the Supreme Court Justice position. Gorsuch is known for his firm conservative views, and he could tip the court’s balance on hot-button issues like abortion, voting rights and religious freedom. Gorsuch is 49 years old, making him the youngest Supreme Court nominee in 25 years. He was among a group of federal judges reported in recent weeks to be on Trump’s shortlist. Gorsuch, a Colorado native, is popular among most Republicans.
This past weekend, President Trump has jumped right into controversy with an Executive Order on immigration and refugees. He banned refugees from 7 Muslim-majority countries. “Everybody is arguing whether or not it is a BAN,” Trump said on Twitter Wednesday morning. “Call it what you want, it is about keeping bad people (with bad intentions) out of country!” Pro-immigrant supporters have referred to the Executive Order as an “immigration ban” or “travel ban.”