Trump Nominates Neil Gorsuch as His Supreme Court Pick

On Tuesday, January 31, Donald Trump, the President of the United States, nominated Judge Neil Gorsuch as his candidate for the Supreme Court. According to AFP, Trump stated that Gorsuch possesses outstanding legal skills, brilliant talents, and extraordinary discipline, and has the support of both parties. The President added that he has an impressive record and is a man that our country needs. He expressed hope that Republicans and Democrats in the Senate would vote positively for Judge Gorsuch. Neil Gorsuch, 49, is currently the Chief Judge of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Colorado, having been nominated by then-President George W. Bush in 2006 and confirmed by all Senate members. Gorsuch also stated in a brief speech while introducing himself at the White House that it is an honor to be nominated by the President for the Supreme Court. According to Reuters, Judge Gorsuch is likely to face serious opposition from Democrats in the Senate, as Republicans previously refused to consider Barack Obama's nominee in 2016. Justice Antonin Scalia, one of the most important conservative justices on the Supreme Court, passed away last February, leaving his seat vacant, but Republicans did not consider Obama's nominee. Reuters notes that Gorsuch is the youngest nominee for the Supreme Court in the last 25 years. If confirmed by the Senate, the number of conservative justices on the Supreme Court will increase. According to reports, John Roberts, Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito make up the conservative members of the Supreme Court, which has nine members in total. Currently, Republicans hold 52 Senate seats while Democrats hold 48, but Democrats are likely to adopt a similar approach to Republicans from last year. Gorsuch has studied at Harvard, Columbia, and Oxford universities.