Donald Trump nominates Judge Neil Gorsuch for Supreme Court in bid to tilt bench to the right

David Gardner1 February 2017

President Donald Trump made his latest bid to stamp his doctrine on America by selecting conservative Judge Neil Gorsuch as the nation’s next Supreme Court justice.

The nomination of the Harvard and Oxford-educated judge is certain to be met with resistance among opposition Democrat lawmakers.

But, in a departure from the in-your-face politics that have marked Mr Trump’s first 11 days in office, his choice for the nation’s highest court was not seen as particularly controversial.

Despite a bitterly divided US Senate, Judge Gorsuch is expected to win confirmation to fill the vacancy left by the February 2016 death of Justice Antonin Scalia.

“I am a man of my word, I will do as I say, something that the American people have been asking for from Washington for a very, very long time,” the President said at the announcement last night in the East Room of the White House.

Nominee: Judge Neil Gorsuch is watched by his wife Louise and President Donald Trump
Getty Images

“Today I am keeping another promise to the American people by nominating Judge Neil Gorsuch to be of the United States Supreme Court.”

The Denver-based judge had been a heavy favourite, but not before Mr Trump orchestrated a showdown worthy of ‘The Apprentice.’ He invited both Judge Gorsuch and his closest rival, Pennsylvania-based Judge Thomas Hardiman, to Washington before announcing the victor.

Judge Hardiman did not attend last night’s announcement, according to reports.

Protesters outside the Supreme Court as Donald Trump's nomination was announced
Getty Images

Mr Trump praised Judge Gorsuch’s “outstanding legal skills” and said his “academic credentials, something very important to me, are as good as I have ever seen.”

At 49, he is the youngest judge to be nominated in 25 years. He praised the man he is expected to succeed, Justice Scalia, as a “lion of the law”.

“Agree or disagree with him, all of his colleagues on the bench cherished his wisdom and his humour and like them, I miss him,” he added.

On the campaign trail, Mr Trump hinted that he would consider challenging the historic Roe v Wade legislation legalising abortion - and Judge Gorsuch has made no secret of his pro-life views.

The President’s aim is to tilt the bench to the right on issues including abortion, gun control and other hot-button issues. Currently the Supreme Court consists of four conservatives and four liberals.

Thousands of protesters march to Downing Street in Trump rally

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Republicans said last night they were confident the judge’s path through the Senate would be relatively painless.

“They're going to have a hard time explaining to the American people why they would obstruct one of the most talented legal minds in the country,” said Cory Gardner, a senator from Gorsuch's home state of Colorado.

“During the campaign he promised the American people he would nominate a principled constitutionalist to replace Justice Scalia,” added Texas Senator Ted Cruz. “And tonight President Trump honoured that commitment.”

“I think Judge Gorsuch is a home run,” he added.

However, Democrat Senator Chuck Schumer argued that Judge Gorsuch had “repeatedly sided with corporations over working people, demonstrated a hostility toward women's rights, and most troubling, hewed to an ideological approach to jurisprudence that makes me sceptical that he can be a strong, independent justice on the Court.”

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