The post announces the nomination of Justin Smith to serve as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in Missouri.
Evidence and Verdict
For
Reuters (Feb 19, 2026) reports that President Trump nominated a lawyer from his legal team, identified as Justin (D.) Smith, to an appeals-court position on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. A publicly available court filing (Trump v. Carroll) lists Justin D. Smith as counsel of record with a St. Louis, Missouri address, supporting that a Justin D. Smith is a Missouri-based lawyer who has represented Trump.
Against
Among the provided sources, only the Reuters article explicitly reports the nomination; other listed news sources in the set do not corroborate the announcement, so independent confirmation within this set is limited. The name “Justin Smith” also appears in other contexts in these sources (e.g., NPR references a Justin Smith as a police detective in the Tyre Nichols case), creating potential for name confusion if identity details aren’t checked.
Verdict
Reuters’ report that Trump nominated Justin D. Smith to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, together with the court filing showing a Justin D. Smith based in St. Louis who has represented Trump, directly supports the claim; limited corroboration in the remaining provided sources and a same-name ambiguity lower but do not overturn confidence.
Sources
Trump nominates lawyer from his legal team for appeals court position
Trump nominates lawyer from his legal team for appeals court position - Feb 19, 2026
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Open source[PDF] Trump v. Carroll - Supreme Court of the United States
[PDF] Trump v. Carroll - Supreme Court of the United States - Feb 19, 2026
such a permissible purpose. CONCLUSION President Trump respectfully requests that the Court grant his petition for writ of certiorari. November 10, 2025 Respectfully submitted, Justin D. Smith Coun...
Open sourceWhat to know about the trials related to Tyre Nichols beating, death
What to know about the trials related to Tyre Nichols beating, death - Feb 19, 2026
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Open sourceTrump asks Supreme Court to block ruling he lacks immunity ... - CNN
Trump asks Supreme Court to block ruling he lacks immunity ... - CNN - Feb 19, 2026
RENO, NEVADA - DECEMBER 17: Republican presidential candidate former U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a campaign rally at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center on December 17, 2023 i...
Open sourceUp First briefing: New evidence in Jan. 6 case; Tyre Nichols trial - NPR
Up First briefing: New evidence in Jan. 6 case; Tyre Nichols trial - NPR - Feb 19, 2026
Jury deliberations are set to begin today in the high-profile police brutality case related to the death of Tyre Nichols. Police video shows officers beating Nichols, a Black man they pulled over d...
Open source