Judge Who Halted Trump’s Travel Ban Has SPECIAL Connection with Obama

17 Mar, 2017 by Cassy Fiano

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Donald Trump’s revised travel ban has been temporarily struck down again, this time by Judge Derrick Watson. Watson ruled against the ban after the state of Hawaii introduced a lawsuit opposing it. And evidently, he and Barack Obama have a bit of a connection.

(George Lee/The Star-Advertiser via AP)

Watson is a native Hawaiian, the only one currently serving on a federal bench and the fourth in United States history. He was nominated by Obama in 2012 and was confirmed by the Senate in a unanimous vote. In his decision to rule against Trump’s travel ban, he wrote, “The illogic of the government’s contentions is palpable.”

Interestingly, Watson has a few things in common with Obama. While Obama is not a native Hawaiian, both he and Watson grew up in Hawaii. Watson attended Kamehameha Schools, a private school system that gives admission preference to native Hawaiians. Watson attended Harvard, both for his undergraduate degree and for his law degree.

Both Watson and Obama attended Harvard Law School at the same time. In a 2013 interview with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, however, Watson said that he never actually met Obama and only knew him as the head of the Harvard law review.

Some have found suspicion in the timing of Watson’s ruling. Obama visited Hawaii on Monday and Watson ruled against Trump’s travel ban on Wednesday. However, there is no evidence that the two met, or that Obama influenced the ruling in any way.

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