COURT JESTER
Trump picks hard-right judge Kavanaugh for Supremes in prime-time TV spectacle
President Trump on Monday names Brett Kavanaugh (right) to the Supreme Court seat being vacated by Anthony Kennedy – setting up a bitter nomination fight in the Senate and stirring fears that abortion rights are in danger.
President Trump tapped conservative stalwart Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court on Monday in hopes of placating his political base and locking in a right-wing judiciary for years to come.
After days of secretive backto-back interviews and frenzied speculation, Trump finally trotted out the U.S. Court of Appeals judge for a dramatic prime-time TV announcement in the East Room of the White House.
“What matters is not a judge's political views but whether they can set aside those views to do what the law and the Constitution require. I am pleased to say that I have found, without doubt, such a person,” Trump said of Kavanaugh, who will replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy if the Senate confirms him.
Kavanaugh, who used to clerk for Kennedy, has an extensive resume touting a plethora of conservative causes and opinions.
The 53-year-old Washington jurist lavished praise on Trump and shouted out his former boss.
“Mr. President, I am grateful to you, and I'm humbled by your confidence in me,” Kavanaugh said, standing alongside Trump. “Justice Kennedy devoted his career to securing liberty. I am deeply honored to be nominated to fill his seat on the Supreme Court.”
Kavanaugh will likely face combative Senate confirmation hearings, with Democrats expected to grill him on divisive issues such as abortion, gay rights and the Second Amendment. Contrary to other Trump Supreme Court finalists, Kavanaugh doesn't have a record of publicly criticizing the landmark Roe vs. Wade ruling, which legalized abortion nationwide.
However, Kavanuagh faced criticism for dissenting last year against permitting a migrant Central American 17year-old to have an abortion while in federal custody, complaining it would hand rights to undocumented immigrants to have “immediate abortion on demand.”
President George W. Bush nominated Kavanaugh to his current judgeship in 2003, and commended Trump on nominating him for the high court.
“Brett is a brilliant jurist who has faithfully applied the Constitution and laws throughout his 12 years on the D.C. circuit,” Bush said in a statement. “He will make a superb justice.”
Kavanaugh faced a grueling confirmation process after Bush tapped him for the Washington court. It took the Senate three years to confirm him after Democrats accused him of being overly partisan while he dodged questions on torture and the importance of judicial precedent.
On abortion, Kavanaugh vowed during those confirmation hearings that he would follow Supreme Court precedent, but he refused to assert his personal opinion on Roe vs. Wade. In response, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) at the time called Kavanaugh's nomination “not just a drop of salt in the partisan wounds; it is the whole shaker.” Schumer was similarly salty Monday after Trump's announcement.
“With this pick, the President is making good on his pledge to ‘punish' women for their choices,” Schumer said, referencing one of Trump's most infamous campaign pledges. “Judge Kavanaugh got the nomination because he passed this litmus test, not because he'll be an impartial judge on behalf of all Americans.”
Senate Democrats contended Kavanaugh is a danger in his own right.
“He could be the deciding vote in overturning Roe v. Wade, which is what President Trump said he wanted his new Supreme Court justice to do,” said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.). “I urge all New Yorkers to raise their voices and join me in opposing him.”
New York's Democratic gubernatorial candidates were united in their displeasure with Trump's pick.
“Kavanaugh is an extreme conservative with a clear partisan record,” Gov. Cuomo said. “He would put our rights and democratic priorities in jeopardy, including the Affordable Care Act, protections for the environment, organized labor, LGBTQ rights and the protections of Roe v. Wade.”