New Robe, Who Dis? Trump’s Tax Appeal Is Going to a Court Headed By ... Wait for It ... Merrick Garland

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Sen. Patrick Leahy,left, (D-Vt.), ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, meets with then-U.S. Supreme Court Justice nominee Merrick Garland (R) in Leahy’s office at the U.S. Capitol September 8, 2016 in Washington, D.C.
Sen. Patrick Leahy,left, (D-Vt.), ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, meets with then-U.S. Supreme Court Justice nominee Merrick Garland (R) in Leahy’s office at the U.S. Capitol September 8, 2016 in Washington, D.C.
Photo: Win McNamee (Getty Images)

Remember Merrick Garland?

He was just a regular judge who was about to gain judicial superpowers and lifetime job security when then-President Obama nominated him to the Supreme Court in 2016 after Antonin Scalia died. But Senate Republicans, led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch “Turtle Neck” McConnell (R-Ky.), stalled the nomination.

Well, maybe it’s because God has a sense of humor or maybe it’s because the winds of justice always blow towards the righteous, but President Trump’s tax return battle is headed to an appeals court that just happens to be headed by—yep you guessed it—Merrick Garland.

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On Monday, a judge decided in favor of a House committee subpoena seeking the president’s financial records. Trump’s attorneys vowed to appeal the decision and that decision is headed to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, whose chief justice is Merrick Garland, HuffPost reports.

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But hold the excitement just a bit—while Garland runs the court, cases are heard “by panels of three judges randomly assigned, so Garland is not necessarily going to hear the appeal (unless the decision is reviewed by the full court),” HuffPost reports.

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Formalities didn’t stop Twitter users from having a field day with the idea that Garland could be a part of the decision to release Trump’s financial records.

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And this gem, which is actually so truthful that it hurts: