Reed explained that he met Trump in 2011 after he, Reed, saw Trump discuss abortion with Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly. In a later interview with a religious blogger, Reed praised Trump’s performance, and almost immediately after the post hit the internet, Reed’s cellphone rang. It was Trump. (“Apparently Trump has Google alerts,” Reed noted.) The two exchanged compliments, and Reed invited Trump to appear at that year’s Road to Majority gathering. Trump did — there was a lot of buzz about whether he might run in 2012 — and the two have kept in touch ever since.

Based on that experience, Reed said he has faith in Trump to do what he says. “Trump and I developed a relationship,” Reed said. “And when he says that’s what he’s going to do, based on my interaction with him, I don’t really have any questions about whether or not he means it.”

But that wasn’t Reed’s entire answer. “The other thing I would say is, compared to what?” he continued. “Compared to whom? Reagan, who told us those things, and then appointed Sandra Day O’Connor as his first nominee? More than George H.W. Bush, who appointed Souter? I mean who are we talking about?” (Reed didn’t mention it, but he could have included George W. Bush, who enraged conservatives with the frivolous Supreme Court nomination of his friend and White House counsel, Harriet Miers.)