President Trump nominated appeals court judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court on Monday night to assume the positing of retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy, ending a days-long guessing game that began the moment Kennedy announced his retirement and setting the stage for a grueling confirmation fight, Fox News informed.
In televised remarks from the East Room of the White House, the President praised what he called Kavanaugh’s “impeccable credentials, unsurpassed qualifications and a proven commitment to equal justice under the law.”
“There is no one in America more qualified for this position, and no one more deserving,” Trump said.
Kavanaugh had been considered a front-runner ever since Kennedy’s June 27 retirement announcement. Trump conducted a swift and decisive vetting process, eager to push for confirmation of his second Supreme Court pick in less than two years.
Though the President said on Monday his nominee deserves “robust bipartisan support,” many Democratic lawmakers had vowed even before the announcement to oppose Trump’s choice. In his own remarks, Kavanaugh looked ahead to what’s expected to be a bruising confirmation fight: “I will tell each senator that I revere the Constitution. I believe that an independent judiciary is the crown jewel of our constitutional republic.
“If confirmed by the Senate, I will keep an open mind in every case, and I will always strive to preserve the Constitution of the United States and the American rule of law.”
He said a judge “must interpret the law, not make the law.”
The four finalists – Kavanaugh and fellow appeals court judges Amy Coney Barrett, Thomas Hardiman and Raymond Kethledge – were drawn from a list of 25 names vetted by conservative groups.
A clue to Kavanaugh’s nomination emerged hours before the announcement when the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a written opinion in which the judge sided with the majority. The D.C. court does not typically issue opinions on Mondays except in response to emergency petitions, suggesting the case had to be disposed of before Kavanaugh was nominated for the high court.
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