Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch found President Trump's attack on federal judge who blocked travel ban 'demoralizing' and 'disheartening'

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President Trump's choice to serve on the Supreme Court said in a private meeting that he finds Trump's Twitter attacks on a federal judge 'disheartening,' after Trump went after a judge who ruled on his immigration order.

Gorsuch made his views known in a private meeting with Connecticut Democratic senator Richard Blumenthal.

'He said very specifically that they were demoralizing and disheartening and he characterized them very specifically that way,' Blumenthal said following his meeting with Gorsuch, who is in the midst of a round of courtesy calls. 

'I said they were more than disheartening and I said to him that he has an obligation to make his views clear to the American people, so they understand how abhorrent or unacceptable President Trump's attacks on the judiciary are,' he added, CNN reported.

'DEMORALIZING': A Democratic senator who met with Supreme Court nominee Judge Neil Gorsuch says President Trump's court pick criticized Trump's tweet against a federal judge

Pick: U.S. President Donald Trump nominates Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court during in the East Room of the White House last month

Trump blasted judge James Robart after a ruling that put a temporary stop to his immigration order

Trump this weekend went after a district court judge who issued a stay of his immigration order – setting up a process that could land the order before the Supreme Court. 

'The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned!' Trump tweeted.

Senator Richard Blumenthal says Gorsuch told him Trump's Twitter attacks on judges such as US District Judge James Robart (pictured above)- the 'so-called' judge who halted his immigtaion order - were 'disheartening'

The comment was confirmed by the Supreme Court nomination team.

Federal district judge James Robart, a George W. Bush appointee, issued a stop to Trump's immigration order last week while it is being adjudicated.

The order had the effect of reopening immigration from a group of seven majority-muslim nations that were deemed a threat.

The issue is certain to arise in Gorsuch's confirmation before the Senate Judiciary Committee.  Top Democrats are already making an issue of whether he can be independent from Trump.

Trump also drew widespread criticism during the primary for going after judge Gonzalo Curiel, who had ruled against him in a Trump University fraud case he ultimately settled after paying $25 million to students who claimed they were defrauded by the offer of real estate classes.

Blumenthal said he brought up Trump's attacks on judges and that Gorsuch 'didn't disagree with me on that point.'

'I said to him if a litigant before your court – and the President of the United States is in fact a litigant right now in the immigration ban cases – said what President Trump said, you would hold him in contempt of court,' he added.

Supreme Court nominee Judge Neil Gorsuch (R) arrives with former Senator from New Hampshire Kelly Ayotte (L) at the office of Democratic Senator from Connecticut Richard Blumenthal

Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said judge Neil Gorsuch said Trump's attacks on the judiciary were 'demoralizing and disheartening'

Earlier on Wednesday, Trump said that he never meant to surprise the world with a sudden travel ban on January 27, but 'law enforcement people' persuaded him to make the move without any advance warning.

'I said, "Let's give a one-month notice",' the president recalled in a speech to a group of police chiefs and sheriffs from large U.S. metropolitan areas. 'But the law enforcement people said to me, "Oh, you can't give a notice. Because if you give a notice, you're going to [find it] really tough in one month from now or in one week from now".' 'I suggested a month. Then I said, "Well, what about a week?"' Trump continued.

'They said, "No, you can't do that, because then people are going to pour in before the toughness goes on".' 

Trump claimed his law enforcement advisers told him that America would see 'a whole pile of people perhaps – perhaps – with very evil intentions coming in' if they knew travel restrictions were pending.

Instead, he now says the United States faces the same kind of exposure to terrorism after a federal judge put his plan on hold.

Gorsuch also met with Senate Demoratic leader Charles Schumer and reportedly gave similar assurances. But after his meeting with Gorsuch, Schumer said, 'The judge today avoided answers like the plague.'

GOP Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas publicly criticized Trump for the twitter attack Wednesday.

'Judge Robart, like every other judge in the federal system, is confirmed by the Senate after having been appointed by the president. He's a judge. He's not a so-called judge,' he said bluntly, appearing on CNN.

'I would say he wrote a so-called opinion, that didn't offer a single legal reason for his conclusion,' he added.

'And again I think it's best not to personalize these disputes. I understand the president is frustrated that this judge in Seattle has stayed his order. I don't think that was the right decision. But I would probably focus on the merits of the case itself, and have confidence in his victory on appeal – because I think he should have confidence in his victory,' he added.

Trump also criticized a federal Ninth Circuit Appeals Court that took up the immigration order Tuesday night.

'A bad high school student would understand this. Anybody would understand this,' he said, following a dramatic reading of a portion of the law Wednesday.

'I listened to a bunch of stuff last night on television that was disgraceful. It was disgraceful,' Trump fumed.

'Because what I just read to you is what we have. And it just can't be read any plainer or better. And for us to be going through this!'