President Donald Trump said last week that today he would make public his choice to fill the upcoming vacancy on the Supreme Court. The nominee will take the place of Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy, who announced his retirement, effective July 31.
Kennedy was a staunch Second Amendment supporter in his rulings. In his three decades on the high court, he was crucial in the Heller and McDonald cases, two of the most important decisions concerning gun rights to make it before the Supreme Court in recent times. For more on Kennedy’s importance when it concerned gun rights, read ILA’s article.
The impending vacancy presents Trump with a second opportunity to shape the direction of the nation’s top court. For NRA members, and other supporters of gun rights, it gives Trump a chance to nominate an individual who recognizes the importance of this nation’s founding documents—the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. One of Trump’s first major acts as president was to nominate Neil Gorsuch to replace Antonin Scalia, who had died unexpectedly.
Trump has said that the person he nominates to fill Kennedy’s seat will come from the same list that Gorsuch was on 18 months ago. That list, compiled mostly by folks at the Heritage Foundation, includes a slate of conservative jurists.
