Trump deserves credit for sticking by Kavanaugh

"Those who step forward to serve our country deserve a fair and dignified evaluation, not a campaign of political and personal destruction based on lies and deception," he said. "What happened to the Kavanaugh family violates every notion of fairness, decency and due process. In our country, a man or woman must always be presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty."

Kavanaugh responded by showing his gratitude to Trump for not cutting him loose as a political liability.

"Mr. President, thank you for the great honor of appointing me to serve as a Justice of the Supreme Court. I've seen firsthand your deep appreciation for the vital role of the American judiciary. I am grateful for your steadfast, unwavering support throughout this process. And I'm grateful to you and Mrs. Trump for the exceptional, overwhelming courtesy you have extended to my family and me. Mr. President, thank you for everything."

Trump gets praise from many Americans for keeping promises and talking straight because most politicians aren't known to do either of those things. Likewise, it serves him well that he displays loyalty now and then -- because many presidents aren't known for leveraging capital and sticking their necks out for someone else. Sadly, that's true even if it was the politician who tossed that person into the lion's den to begin with.

Bill Clinton wasn't loyal to Lani Guinier, his old law school friend who he nominated to head up the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department. When Republicans attacked her as a "quota queen" over her support for affirmative action, Clinton bailed.

George W. Bush wasn't loyal to Alberto Gonzales. When Democrats accused the attorney general of politicizing the firing of U.S. Attorneys -- a trend that emanated from the White House -- Gonzales was the scapegoat. He resigned, and Bush didn't stop him.

Barack Obama wasn't loyal to Thomas Saenz, the Yale-educated civil rights lawyer who made a name for himself litigating cases of the Los Angeles office of the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund. When Obama offered Saenz the chance to head the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department, anti-immigrant groups began a smear campaign. Obama rescinded the offer.

So here comes Trump. When the Left threw everything at Kavanaugh -- the kitchen sink and every other appliance -- the president didn't flinch. He stood by his guy.

That counts for a lot. And Trump deserves credit for it -- no matter what planet you live on.

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Ruben Navarrette's email address is ruben@rubennavarrette.com. His daily podcast, "Navarrette Nation," is available through every podcast app.