Neil Gorsuch Controversy? Sean Spicer Rejects Claims Gorsuch Criticized Trump's Attack On Judges

Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch publicly criticized Tuesday President Donald Trump's attacks on the federal judge who blocked his administration's travel ban. Gorsuch said Trump's rhetoric when he called U.S. District Judge James L. Robart a "so-called judge" was "disheartening" and "demoralizing."

"When anyone criticizes the honesty, integrity, the motives of a federal judge, I find that disheartening, I find that demoralizing, because I know the truth," he said during his Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday, according to reports. His response came when Sen. Richard Blumenthal questioned him about Trump's tweets.

When the Connecticut Democrat asked if that "anyone" included the President, Gorsuch said: "Anyone is anyone."

Later Tuesday, White House press secretary Sean Spicer dismissed claims that Gorsuch publicly criticized Trump, saying in a tweet: "Wrong and Misleading: he spoke broadly and never mentioned any person."

Read: Neil Gorsuch Picked By Trump For Supreme Court

In February, Trump described the Seattle judge who put a stay on his immigration and travel ban a "so-called judge" in a tweet.

"The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned!" the president wrote at the time.

When asked how he would feel if the president called him the same thing, Gorsuch declined to talk about "specific cases. ... that might come before me" but judges getting criticized in general.

"Judges have to be tough. We get called lots of names, all over the place. We have to accept criticism with some humility. Makes us stronger and better," he said, adding that he knows "how hard their job is" and such criticism can be "demoralizing" and "disheartening."

While the second hearing for his confirmation ended Tuesday, Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez said the Senate should halt the nomination of Gorsuch until after the FBI completes its investigation into whether the Trump campaign had links to Russian operatives.

“The Senate should hold off on any action on this lifetime appointment until the FBI investigation into Trump’s Russia connections concludes,” Perez tweeted, adding that it is “unacceptable” for the nomination to go forward while the “presidency is under the cloud of an FBI investigation.”