Judge Brett Kavanaugh, who currently sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, has been nominated by President Donald Trump to fill the vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court created with Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement 12 days ago. This is Trump’s second nomination to the Supreme Court since taking office, having nominated Neil Gorsuch who was approved. Justice Gorsuch jointed the Supreme Court in April 2017.
Kavanaugh, a conservative who at one time served as Justice Kennedy’s law clerk, is expected to meet stiff opposition from Democrats.
With Kavanaugh, Trump is replacing a swing vote on the nine-member court with a conservative who is expected to be less receptive to abortion and gay rights than Kennedy was. Kavanaugh has taken an expansive view of executive power and has favored limits on investigating the president.
