'That's what I look for in a president': Republican defends Trump-Alito call

Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) jumped to the defense of President-elect Donald Trump and Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, arguing that the rare phone conversation between the two was not only wholly appropriate – but a positive development.

“I do think it's appropriate,” Gonzales told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer during an interview on CNN’s “The Situation Room.” He made the remarks Wednesday shortly after reports emerged that Alito spoke to Trump by phone a day earlier to recommend a former law clerk for a government position, and nothing more.

The phone call came just a day before the incoming president asked the high court to block his criminal sentencing in the New York hush-money case, asserting he is protected by the high court’s blockbuster presidential immunity ruling last summer.

But despite the legal stakes hinging before the court involving Trump – and a ruling on his emergency request likely to come before Friday’s sentencing – the Texas congressman seemed unphased by the interaction between the two.

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“He is the incoming president, he's a former president, and very soon he's going to be the current president,” Gonzales said during his appearance Wednesday. “So I think to me, it's a positive thing that President Trump is meeting with the Senate, that he's meeting with the House, that he's willing to have conversations with the Supreme Court.”

He added: “To me, that's what I look for in a president. I want to have more of that dialogue – and the more openness and the more transparency that we can have – I think the better it is for all Americans.”

Gonzales also flatly rejected the idea that Alito should recuse himself from deciding matters involving Trump’s cases.

“I mean, I don't think so,” he told Blitzer. “I mean, who knows what the conversation they had, but I doubt it was on something like that. There's so many things, so many important issues that need to be discussed and I’m certain, you know, there’s a lot of that so I wouldn’t necessarily say that.”

Watch the clip below or at this link.