It's not possible to bring up the name of Biden judicial nominee Adeel Mangi without mentioning that he's Muslim or that he'd be the first Muslim American to serve as a U.S. federal appeals court judge. "White House ramps up defense of embattled Muslim American judicial nominee," reports NBC News.

Three Democrats have already said they won't vote to confirm embattled Muslim Mangi, so his nomination is dead. White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients blames smears from Senate Republicans and "extreme allies."

Republicans have attacked Mangi for his affiliation with the Rutgers Law School Center for Security, Race and Rights, chastising its decision to host an event featuring a speaker named Sami Al-Arian, who in 2006 pleaded guilty to conspiracy to assist the designated terrorist group Palestinian Islamic Jihad, according to the Justice Department. Mangi told the Senate in written testimony he had “no involvement” in the Rutgers Center speaker events.

Yeah, the ties to the terrorist group aren't helping.