Trump officially nominates Amy Coney Barrett for Supreme Court Justice
She will be considered by the senate judiciary committee for a vote.
President Trump has named Judge Amy Coney Barrett, 48, as his nominee to fill the empty seat left vacant by late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in the United States Supreme Court on Saturday (Sept. 26).
The Republican-controlled Senate judiciary committee is reportedly set to confirm his choice ahead of Election Day on November 3. In 2017, she was nominated to the seventh circuit court of appeals by Trump.
If voted in, Barrett would be the 120th Supreme Court justice and will be one of six conservative justices on the bench with three justices who are liberal-leaning. This will be Trump’s third judicial appointment during his four years in office.
“I looked and I studied and you are very eminently qualified for this job,” Trump told her during the ceremony. “You are going to be fantastic.”
Born in New Orleans, Barrett graduated from Notre Dame University and is known for her strong pro-life views as a devout Catholic, which is the complete opposite of the late Ginsburg, who worked heavily for women’s reproductive rights.
The rushed confirmation is being decried by Democrats and those who are worried about Trump’s admission to not allow for a peaceful transfer of power following the election. Some are also concerned that if Barnett is successfully voted it, that she will assist in his election through the courts.
“If confirmed, I would not assume that role for the sake of those in my own circle, and certainly not for my own sake, I would assume this role to serve you,” she said during the ceremony.
“Should I be confirmed, I will be mindful of who came before me,” she said of Ginsburg. “She not only broke glass ceilings, she smashed them, and for that she has won the admiration of women across the country.”
Senior Republicans, however, have reassured those concerned that Trump will agree to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses.