President Donald J. Trump and Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh pose for photos Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018, during the investiture of Justice Kavanaugh at the Supreme Court of the United States in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)
With a large number of vacancies to fill, President Trump has the opportunity to temper the ability of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, one of his biggest antagonists, to hamper his policy making. Slate’s Elliot Hannon writes:
Trump has railed against his opponents’ preference for filing lawsuits against his policies in the liberal-leaning 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
During Obama’s presidency many of the Obama administration’s policies were challenged by the right in the conservative-leaning 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
The 9th Circuit is the largest federal appellate court in the country, covering Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.
There are currently more than twice as many judges appointed by Democratic presidents than Republican ones on the 9th Circuit, 16 judges to 7, but Trump has the opportunity to remake the composition of the court with five nominees to the 9th Circuit with one more vacancy to fill.
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