In the 12 p.m. ET hour on Tuesday, following the first few hours of Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch being questioned by the Senate Judiciary Committee, MSNBC anchor Brian Williams admitted: “I think, the expression in English is ‘It's tough to lay a glove on this guy.’”
Legal analyst Ari Melber agreed: “I didn't see a single glove laid on him. He performed himself admirably, calmly at almost all times and with detail, but never much candor about his views, which, many experts would say, he's not supposed to.” “Judge Gorsuch, I think, showed exactly why legal conservatives and Trump fans could agree on him as a great pick...At times conservative, but conservative in his words within the legal mainstream,” Melber added.
Minutes later, even Andrea Mitchell was forced to acknowledge: “I think that this has been a slam dunk in terms of his initial Qs & As. You're going to see some of the more intensive questioning, but they have not, as you put it, laid a glove on him.” She worried: “...the Democrats under a lot of pressure because of what happened with Merrick Garland. And they are getting criticized by the, you know, left-wing of the party for not going after him harder. But they have not been able to, you know, shake this guy...”
The liberal reporter concluded: “...he is obviously the consummate witness and very much a good performer in the hot seat there....so far, he has not been shaken.”
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Here are excerpts of the March 21 coverage:
12:13 PM ET
(...)
BRIAN WILLIAMS: Ari Melber, from the legal side of things, has been watching along with us. Ari, I think, the expression in English is “It's tough to lay a glove on this guy.”
ARI MELBER: I didn't see a single glove laid on him. He performed himself admirably, calmly at almost all times and with detail, but never much candor about his views, which, many experts would say, he's not supposed to....in this first chapter, Judge Gorsuch, I think, showed exactly why legal conservatives and Trump fans could agree on him as a great pick for their goals, because he was measured, because he was thoughtful. At times conservative, but conservative in his words within the legal mainstream.
(...)
12:34 PM
ANDREA MITCHELL: And just today, to return to Gorsuch, I think that this has been a slam dunk in terms of his initial Qs & As. You're going to see some of the more intensive questioning, but they have not, as you put it, laid a glove on him. Senator Feinstein and Senator Grassley both under some pressure, certainly the Democrats under a lot of pressure because of what happened with Merrick Garland. And they are getting criticized by the, you know, left-wing of the party for not going after him harder. But they have not been able to, you know, shake this guy, he is obviously the consummate witness and very much a good performer in the hot seat there....so far, he has not been shaken.
(...)
