With Trump Victory, Next Supreme Court Justice Will Respect the Rule of Law

One of the longest lasting effects of Donald Trump's victory yesterday will be his nominations to the Supreme Court.  Mr. Trump had released a list of people from which he would select the Supreme Court Justice or Justices he will nominate as President.  Clearly, this list of principled jurists who respect the rule of law and Mr. Trump's respect for the Constitution were important factors to voters.  21% of voters said the Supreme Court vacancy was a major factor in their voting decision, and those voters voted for Trump over Clinton 57% to 40%.

The Trump presidency has the potential to not only preserve Scalia's legacy but also drastically shift the Supreme Court toward respect for the rule of law and the proper role of the courts:

The political earthquake that hit Tuesday night has enormous consequences for the Supreme Court, swallowing up Judge Merrick Garland’s ill-fated nomination and dismantling Democratic hopes for a liberal majority on the high court for the first time in nearly a half-century. 

In the short term, Republican Donald Trump’s victory means that at some point next year, the nine-member court will be restored to full capacity, once again with a majority of Republican-appointed justices. . . . 

The long-term question will be Trump’s ultimate impact on the court’s membership, and whether he gets the chance to do more than choose the successor to Justice Antonin Scalia, who died in February.  

Two of the court’s liberals, Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen G. Breyer, are 83 and 78, respectively. Moderate conservative Justice Anthony M. Kennedy is 80. . . . All eyes will now be on the court’s oldest members, Kennedy and Ginsburg. Replacing Kennedy with a more stalwart conservative would immediately impact the court’s dynamics. He has given no indication about how long he intends to serve on the court.

The opportunity for President Trump to nominate a justice to fill Justice Scalia's seat on the Supreme Court would not have been possible but for the leadership of Leader McConnell, Chairman Grassley, and many principled Republican Senators.  The nation is indebted to these Republican Senators.