Trump’s candidate, Barrett, moves to the Supreme Court



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It’s a success for US President Trump and it could shape America for decades: Amy Coney Barrett was sworn in as the new constitutional judge. The conservative lawyer divides the country with her opinions.

Photo series with 17 images

Conservative attorney Amy Coney Barrett enters the United States Supreme Court. The Senate in Washington confirmed the candidate for president of the United States, Donald Trump, on Monday night (local time). The decision was made with the votes of 52 Republican members of the Senate, all 47 Democrats and one Republican voted against. That night, the new constitutional judge was sworn in in a ceremony at the White House. Trump also delivered a speech.

With Barrett’s confirmation, the United States president achieved a controversial political success about a week before the election. Under Barrett, the conservatives on the Supreme Court win a dominant majority of six of the nine seats. That could influence the development of American society for decades. Judges are appointed for life, and the Supreme Court often has the final say in controversial cases, including abortion rights, health care, and immigration policies. Ahead of the November 3 election, Trump can score points with right-wing voters, for whom conservative constitutional judges are a key concern.

The judges of the Supreme Court are nominated by the President and appointed by the Senate. Barrett replaces iconic liberal justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died in September. Trump really wanted to fill the vacant position before the November 3 presidential election. He also explicitly referred to possible judicial processes related to vote counting that could end up in the Supreme Court.

Democrats tried to prevent Barrett’s occupation

This sparked outrage among opposition Democrats: they asked the president in vain not to fill the post so shortly before the election. The opposition party argued that the winner of the elections should have the right to nominate a new constitutional judge.

The Democrats were ultimately powerless against the conservative majority in the Senate. Therefore, he is trying to use the controversial personality to mobilize voters before the presidential and congressional elections. They warn that the conservative-dominated Supreme Court could reverse the health care reform of Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama, which gave 20 million people access to health insurance. The right to abortion is also in jeopardy.

Barrett, who is highly respected in conservative and religious circles, had refused to take a position on controversial issues like the health care system, abortion law and gay marriage at judicial committee hearings two weeks ago. He also declined to promise that he would declare bias if Trump went to the Supreme Court in the event of a possible electoral defeat.

Conservative majority in the Supreme Court: an advantage for Trump in the elections

The incumbent has been behind his Democratic challenger Joe Biden in the polls for months. Trump, who routinely denounces alleged electoral fraud without any proof, has already made it clear that he would challenge a possible deselection through legal channels. As in the 2000 presidential elections, the election result could end in front of the Supreme Court. A clear conservative majority on the Supreme Court gives Trump an advantage.

Before Barrett, Trump had already appointed two conservative attorneys for constitutional judges since taking office: Neil Gorsuch in 2017 and Brett Kavanaugh in 2018. Because the Supreme Court often has the final say in major disputes, political guidance of the court is of crucial importance.

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