Trump maintains suspense about his choice for the Supreme Court

Trump maintains suspense over his choice for the Supreme Court
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AFP / File
/ JIM WATSON

President Donald Trump was on Monday to appoint a very conservative judge to the United States Supreme Court, a decision with far-reaching consequences for the evolution of American society.

Anxious to Offer the maximum resonance to his announcement, eagerly awaited by his electoral base, Mr. Trump will reveal his choice from the White House at 21H00 (0100 GMT Tuesday). One hour of prime time, for which television has turned their programs upside down.

This appointment stems from the unexpected retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy, one of the nine wise men of the high court.

million. Trump has preferred to maintain a suspenseful suspense on the name of Mr. Kennedy's replacement.

"I have been told for a long time that the most important decision a US President can make is to appoint a judge to Supreme Court: The announcement will be made tonight at 21H00, "he tweeted Monday.

After a weekend spent in one of his golf clubs, the President had confided Sunday be" very close of the final decision. "

" Let's say there are four people, "he told reporters. "They are all excellent, you can not go wrong."

This quadrangle has only very conservative magistrates: Brett Kavanaugh, a former advisor to George W. Bush; Amy Coney Barrett, a judge with traditional religious values; Raymond Kethledge, a defender of a literal interpretation of the Constitution; and Thomas Hardiman, a fierce supporter of the carrying of weapons.

"Judicial militancy"

M. Trump rejected the idea of ​​a politicization of the Supreme Court, a criticism reinforced since the high court appointed George W. Bush to the detriment of Al Gore during the imbroglio of the presidential election of 2000.

" We reject judicial activism and political decisions by a court, "he badured last week.

Early 2017 Donald Trump had already had the opportunity to promote a conservative judge, Neil Gorsuch, to the highest court.

The Supreme Court, whose primary mission is to review the constitutionality of laws, settles important societal debates in the United States, a role played by parliaments in other countries.

Each of its members is appointed for life, then confirmed by a Senate vote. Trump wants to move quickly and take advantage of the narrow Republican majority in the upper house of Congress, ahead of the mid-term risky elections in November.

With Supreme Court justices often sitting for decades, the stakes are huge . Mr. Trump, at each of his political meetings, likes to boast about his successes the appointment of Mr. Gorsuch.

Judge Kennedy, 81, played a pivotal role: Conservative on topics such as guns or election financing, he was more progressive on topics such as abortion, affirmative action, or same-bad marriage. .

He often divided his eight peers, four curators (including President John Roberts) and four progressives.

His departure was strongly feared by the Democrats, who feared also a failure of the Dean of the Court, the Progressive Magistrate Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who still sits at 85.

Without Kennedy, many now consider that a real danger hovers over various social gains, such as the right to abortion.

Right shift

"The retirement of Mr. Kennedy causes a shift of the Court" to the right, confirms the AFP Thomas Lee, Fordham Law School.

The president deliberately chose relatively young judges: 53 for MM. Kavanaugh and Hardiman, 46 for Mrs. Barrett and 51 for Mr. Kethledge

A Conservative Court should slash the local impulse to regulate firearms, give pledges to conservative Christians, comfort the supporters of the death penalty , support business lobbies and oppose a capping of electoral financing.

Exasperated that Donald Trump thus has the opportunity to make a lasting impression on the Supreme Court, the Democratic opposition intends to mobilize during the vote of confirmation of the chosen candidate, a process that Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the Senate, wants to wrap up in the fall.

"President Trump has a duty, vis-à-vis the American people, to appoint a moderate and consensual candidate, not an extremist," tweeted Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein.

09/07/2018 16 : 47: 51 –
Washington (AFP) –
© 2018 AFP