Trump nominates Neil Gorsuch to fill Supreme Court vacancy
Neil Gorsuch is President Donald Trump's pick for Supreme Court justice, the president announced in a Facebook Live video Tuesday evening.
Gorsuch, 49, is a US Circuit Judge of the US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, which covers six states. Gorsuch would be the youngest addition to the high court since Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who was 43 years old when he was confirmed in 1991.
READ MORE: Trump’s Supreme Court nominee set to bring conservative vote back to SCOTUS cases
What you need to know about #Trump's #SupremeCourt pick Neil Gorsuch @ManilaChan
— RT America (@RT_America) February 1, 2017
Read more: https://t.co/ZzOBKjDhUopic.twitter.com/3ZNWuSoiU0
Trump invited Gorsuch and his wife to stand next to him at the podium during the announcement. Gorsuch then took to the podium himself, saying that he was "honored and humbled."
Trump said in the announcement that he promised to "find the very best judge in the country," who "loves our Constitution" and will interpret it "as written."
Trump cited his list of considered justices as an example of why this was the "most transparent judicial nomination process in history."
Trump promoted Gorsuch's previous Senate confirmation as one that reached bipartisan consensus.
#SCOTUS nominee Neil Gorsuch is known to interpret the Constitution literally, like the late Justice Antonin Scalia
— Simone Del Rosario (@SimoneReports) February 1, 2017
"Judge Gorsuch is a brilliant jurist with an outstanding intellect and a clear, incisive writing style," a White House statement reads. "He is universally respected for his integrity, fairness, and decency. And he understands the role of judges is to interpret the law, not impose their own policy preferences, priorities, or ideologies."
He was confirmed by the Senate to the Tenth Circuit US court of appeals in 2006. The White House lists 11 current Senate Democrats, including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, as having voted to confirm him nearly 11 years ago.
Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee reacted on Twitter.
Judge Gorsuch is a tremendous pick for the Supreme Court and I look forward to doing everything I can to ensure he is confirmed by Senate.
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) February 1, 2017
VIDEO: Hatch Praises Supreme Court Nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch#utpol#SCOTUSpic.twitter.com/Vn4X4zsJRP
— Senator Hatch Office (@SenOrrinHatch) February 1, 2017
Our country needs justices who revere the #Constitution -- willing to elevate it over their own personal preferences https://t.co/yPsN6lpeh3pic.twitter.com/BxuRmMIEMb
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) February 1, 2017
Here's @SenatorLeahy's statement on @POTUS' nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court. #VTpoli#SCOTUSpic.twitter.com/JxUW7gKaae
— Vermont Public Radio (@vprnet) February 1, 2017
Americans deserve to know where Trump's SCOTUS nominee Judge Gorsuch stands on the special interest politics that has stricken the Court. pic.twitter.com/jimcSifn6P
— Sheldon Whitehouse (@SenWhitehouse) February 1, 2017
Chairman @ChuckGrassley discusses @POTUS Trump's Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch #SCOTUSpic.twitter.com/mAdYupNY0N
— Senate Judiciary (@senjudiciary) February 1, 2017
I look forward to voting for Judge Gorsuch to be the next Supreme Court Justice #SCOTUS. pic.twitter.com/0MPQGakpeq
— JohnCornyn (@JohnCornyn) February 1, 2017
I will closely examine Neil Gorsuch's background, but I have concerns about his judicial philosophy. Full statement: https://t.co/ykfbsGMwmY
— Sen. Al Franken (@SenFranken) February 1, 2017
The independence of our judicial system--esp. #SCOTUS—is more critical than ever. That's the context in which I'll review this nomination.
— Senator Dick Durbin (@SenatorDurbin) February 1, 2017
My statement on the selection of Judge Gorsuch for the Supreme Court. pic.twitter.com/6ARr3hx0DL
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) February 1, 2017
The next #SupremeCourt Justice must protect the fundamental rights guaranteed by our Constitution. My statement: https://t.co/wSzMINGC1F
— Sen Dianne Feinstein (@SenFeinstein) February 1, 2017
