With Monday night's announcement that he's nominating D.C. Circuit Judge Brett Kavanaugh to fill the seat vacated by Anthony M. Kennedy, President Trump moves one step closer to shifting the direction of the Supreme Court for a generation or more. As the swing vote in closely divided cases, Kennedy single-handedly decided some of the most controversial issues in America. Trump's decision to tap Kavanaugh leaves Republicans hopeful that more of those cases will now be decided in their favor.
It's not hard to see where this is headed. Republicans are already preparing to spend millions of dollars on a political battle to help cement a 5-4 conservative majority on the Supreme Court by confirming Trump's nominee. Liberals will, in turn, lose their minds. When Democrats next gain unified control of government, they could pack the courts. It's the logical tit-for-tat for the “stolen” seat President Barack Obama nominated Merrick Garland to fill. But then what happens?
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