President Trump floats putting Sen Ted Cruz on Supreme Court as bipartisan joke

President Donald Trump on Friday floated the idea of ​​nominating Sen. Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, to the Supreme Court, joking that he is the only nominee who would receive “100 percent of the Democratic vote, 100 percent of the Republican vote” because lawmakers would like to “run him out” of Congress.

Trump made the comments after Cruz and other lawmakers traveled with the president to make remarks on energy in Corpus Christi, Texas.

“We have a senator who is truly an extraordinary guy,” Trump said during his outdoor engagement at Corpus Christi Harbor. “I’m thinking about nominating him to the Supreme Court. … Passing these nominations is very difficult, and he’s the only guy I know who will get 100 percent of the Democratic vote, 100 percent of the Republican vote. They want to get him out of there.

“He’s a real pain, but he’s so good and so talented,” the president continued. “If we ever had a problem, I would just pick Ted. That would solve that problem. … He’s a great guy, and he’s also a very talented guy – smart.”

President Donald Trump speaks to the press Friday alongside Port of Corpus Christi CEO Kent Britton, left; Texas Governor Greg Abbott; Gabe Guerra, president of the Port Commission; U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas; and U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright at the Port of Corpus Christi in Corpus Christi, Texas. (Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images)

Cruz, who earned his law degree from Harvard Law School, argued eight cases before the Supreme Court as Texas solicitor general before returning to private practice, where he argued his ninth before the highest court.

At the time of Cruz’s Senate bid in 2012, he had tried the most cases before the Supreme Court of any practicing lawyer in Texas or any member of Congress, according to the Texas Tribune.

He was sworn into the Senate in 2013, where he advocated for limited government, economic growth and national security.

President Donald Trump shakes hands with Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas during a visit to a Whataburger restaurant Friday in Corpus Christi, Texas. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

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Cruz ran for the Republican presidential nomination during the 2016 election cycle, but failed to match Trump’s popularity. He suspended his campaign on May 3, 2016, after losing the Indiana primary.

During his speech in Corpus Christi, Trump also briefly discussed ongoing negotiations with Iran, saying the United States faced a “very big decision” about whether to strike the country, an option the president said he had championed by Cruz and other lawmakers who joined him on Friday.

President Donald Trump answers questions from reporters during his visit to the Port of Corpus Christi Friday in Corpus Christi, Texas. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

“A lot of things are happening right now. We have an important decision to make. … Not easy,” Trump said. “We have a country that for 47 years has been blowing up people’s legs and arms… killing people, a lot of people. Not just Americans. … They want to make a deal, but we have to make a deal that’s meaningful. I’ve talked to Ted Cruz, John, all on the way here.

“We hit them very hard, as you know, with these magnificent B-2 bombers, which recently destroyed their nuclear capability,” he continued. “I prefer to do it peacefully, but these are very difficult people. I want to tell you that these are very dangerous people, very difficult people.”

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Trump told reporters earlier Friday that he had not yet decided whether he would launch military strikes against Iran, but he expressed displeasure with recent negotiations.

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