Biden Nominates 5 More Judges, 1st Muslim Appellate Court Judge
The Facts
- US Pres. Joe Biden announced five more judicial nominees on Wednesday, adding to the more than 150 already confirmed by the Senate. If confirmed, they would include the first Muslim-American circuit court judge and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals' first openly LGBTQ+ judge.
- Adeel A. Mangi, a Muslim Harvard- and Oxford-trained lawyer, was nominated to sit on the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He has written multiple amicus briefs, including one to block former Pres. Donald Trump's travel ban on Muslim-majority countries and another to block an attempt at diverting federal funds to build a border wall.
- Biden nominated Nicole Berner, currently the general counsel for the Services Employees International Union, to sit on the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. If confirmed, she would become that court's first openly LGBTQ+ judge. Biden's nominee for the federal district court for the Northern District of Indiana, Judge Cristal Brisco, would become that court's first-ever Black woman and woman of color.
Sources Split
LEFT
CENTER
RIGHT
+2
+1
ESTAB
CRIT
CENTER
PRO
ESTAB
The Spin
Democratic narrative
Joe Biden has fought harder for and achieved more successful confirmations of diverse judicial nominees than any other president. He knows the importance of a judiciary representing both the ethnic backgrounds of the American people, which is why he's chosen the first Muslim, LGBTQ+, and Black women for their respective courts. He's also selected public defenders and civil rights lawyers to expand the breadth of legal backgrounds of America's federal judges.
Republican narrative
Since promising to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court, Biden has inadvertently stained the confirmations of his entire historically diverse group of judicial nominees. Rather than Americans focusing on the Ivy League background of, say, Ketanji Brown Jackson, they look at her as a token Black woman due to Biden's pandering during his campaign. It's important to not only select the most competent candidate but also publicly highlight that candidate based on said competency rather than immutable characteristics.
Public Figures
© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 7.18.2