The United States President, Donald, J. Trump has announced Brett Kavanaugh as his choice to replace outgoing Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy.
President Trump made the announcement on Monday night from the East room of the White House. Brett Kavanaugh is a federal appellate court judge based in Washington, D.C; it is widely believed that kavanaugh will cement a conservative majority on the nation’s highest court if confirmed.
“Judge Kavanaugh has impeccable credentials, unsurpassed qualifications and a proven commitment to equal justice under the law,” the president said. “Throughout legal circles he is considered a judge’s judge, a true thought leader among his peers. He is a brilliant jurist with a clear and effective writing style universally regarded as one of the finest and sharpest legal minds of our time.” President Trump announced from the East wing.
Kavanaugh responded by telling Trump he was grateful and humbled by the confidence placed in him.
“Throughout this process I have witnessed firsthand your appreciation for the vital role of the American judiciary. No president has ever consulted more widely or talked with more people from more backgrounds to seek input about a Supreme Court nomination. Justice Kennedy devoted his career to securing liberty. I am deeply honored to fill his seat on the Supreme Court.”
The nomination of Judge Kavanaugh, 53, former aide to President George W. Bush and onetime investigator of President Bill Clinton, did not come as a surprise, given his conservative record, elite credentials and deep ties among the Republican legal groups that have advanced conservatives for the federal bench.
The decision it is believed will galvanise Democrats and Republicans in the months preceding the midterm elections. Justice Kennedy, who is on his way out held the swing vote in many closely divided cases on issues like abortion, affirmative action, gay rights and the death penalty.
Many believe that replacing him with a committed conservative, who could potentially serve for decades, will fundamentally alter the balance of the court and put dozens of precedents at risk.
It is expected that Democrats will use his role in the Starr investigation nearly twenty years ago where he laid out broad terms to impeach President Clinton during the Lewinsky affair against him; expecting him to apply those same rules to President Trump regarding the Russia investigation and a few brewing cases.
In choosing Judge Kavanaugh, the President has not only opted for a battle-scarred veteran of Republican politics but also someone with close ties to the Bush family; a history that aides to Mr. Trump said he viewed as a strike against him and had to overcome.