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President Trump appoints Brett Kavanaugh to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy in the Supreme Court in a White House address.
USA TODAY & # 39; HUI

At the White House, President Donald Trump announces his appointment of Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court. (Photo: Jack Gruber, President Donald Trump Named Federal Court Judge Brett Kavanaugh to Replace Justice Anthony Kennedy in the Supreme Court on Monday Night, A Crucial Choice That Could Move the court in a more conservative direction for decades 19659007] At a ceremony at the White House announcing the choice, Trump described Kavanaugh as a man of "impeccable credentials" and a "true leader of opinion among his peers. "

Long regarded as the job's favorite because of his academic status His ancestry, his excellent reputation, and his long career in government service, Kavanaugh had to struggle against the late support of several other candidates who had made Trump tripping until the last hours.

A former attorney and first badistant to Pre 53-year-old President George W. Bush sat on the mighty Court of Appeals and the United States for the District of Columbia for the last 12 years. It is the same court that produced three high court judges. He also worked for independent lawyer Kenneth Starr during the Whitewater Inquiry on President Bill Clinton.

Kavanaugh stated that while he is confirmed by the Senate, he "will keep an open mind in all cases"

is simple, "he said, echoing the mantra of the Conservative Legal Establishment "A judge must be independent and must interpret the law, not make the law. A judge must interpret the laws as they are written. And a judge must interpret the Constitution as written, informed by history and tradition and precedent. "

Kavanaugh ruled in a case involving abortion last year and is considered a likely opponent of Roe v. Wade In 1973, he legalized the practice of abortion. Abortion all over the country and has a strong record of conservative government regulation and separation of powers, which is important for the groups that support his candidacy.

Trump introduces Kavanaugh into the White House. packed with special guests, most Republicans such as Vice President Mike Pence and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

The Senate must confirm Trump's candidate The Judicial Crisis Network plans to buy $ 1.4 million in Alabama, Indiana, North Dakota and West Virginia The Republican caucus has a 51-49 Senate advantage, but a key member, Sen. John McCain's Arizona, is mala and may not be able to participate in the presidential election.

confirmation process. A former Arizona senator, Republican Jon Kyl, will act as the "sherpa" of Kavanaugh by guiding him for weeks of Senate courtesy calls

Second Appointment

Kavanaugh is the second Trump's court candidate and gives him a chance to lead for decades to come. His first candidate, Judge Neil Gorsuch, was confirmed last year to succeed the late Judge Antonin Scalia – a change that did not alter the ideological balance of the court as Kavanaugh would do.

His 12 years as an appeal judge with his Yale pedigree, the Supreme Court clerk under Kennedy and the senior positions in the Bush administration, give him a summary that his competitors would not be able to match. His mother, Martha, became a judge of the state of Maryland a quarter of a century ago.

"I interviewed many candidates for the Federal Judiciary, including Chief Justice John Roberts and Judge Samuel Alito., Said Alberto Gonzales." There is no question in my Brett's mind for the Supreme Court, he has antecedents that demonstrate his talents and his judicial philosophy. "

More than anyone in the conservative legal circles today, Kavanaugh has been considered a supreme. Meanwhile, he wrote nearly 300 notices and sent 41 of his lawyers to similar posts at the High Court.

Throughout the search for a replacement, Kavanaugh was a favorite Conservative legal connoisseurs, they were looking for someone with long experience who included most of the controversial issues likely to come before the High Court.

To find out more: These Six sé could make or break the appointment of Kavanaugh [19659008] Brett Kavanaugh: Nominated to the Supreme Court straight out of the central casting

Relationship: Hundreds Protest Supreme Court after Trump Appoints Kavanaugh

Since the 2016 campaign, Trump has made his selection process for Supreme Court judges transparent. He has published a list of judges and a US senator that he would consider for the court in 2016. He reiterated his wish to stick to an updated list, including Kavanaugh, after the announcement. announcement of his retirement by Kennedy.

Kavanaugh's presence on this Trump list told Kavanaugh that he intended to name him Sunday night, said a White House official after commuting for a week. a short list of finalists that included three other federal court of appeal judges: Amy Coney Barrett of Indiana, Thomas Hardiman of Pennsylvania and Raymond Kethledge of Michigan

Some Trump supporters opposed the 39; idea of ​​a former Bush official said, but Trump finally discounted it and was impressed by the extent of Kavanaugh's experience.

Kavanaugh had the support of Don McGahn and Leon, White House advisers. Leo, an outside legal counselor on leave of the Federalist Society

Democrats who plan to oppose the Trump candidate focus on two moderate Republicans, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, in the Hoping to oppose them to Trump's selection. 19659008] In a statement, Collins said that she planned to do a "painstaking and thorough examination of the candidate," but she praised Kavanaugh's "impressive credentials and considerable experience."

The Kennedy Legacy

a hole for Trump to fill in the middle of the deeply divided court, where the nine judges tend to vote the way the presidents who appointed them were waiting. Kennedy, appointed in 1988 by President Ronald Reagan, was the most unpredictable.

On the most important and controversial issues of the past quarter-century, from racial preferences to religious freedom to reproductive rights, Kennedy has often bridged the gap between the court liberals and the conservatives. This role has become all the more important over the last decade, following the retirement of Sandra Day O. Connor in 2006.

This is how the 81-year-old Californian – until recently the only Westerner on the nine-member court – has voted in recent years on same-bad marriage and possession of firearms, prayer and privacy, campaign funding elections and the death penalty