Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation fight featured some of the ugliest smear tactics in American political history.
Democrats used every dirty trick in the book to take him down.
Now that their battle is over, Brett Kavanaugh got this shocking news about his court replacement.
Republicans confirming Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court opened up a vacancy on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.
That appeals court is considered to be the most prestigious in the nation and a stepping stone to the Supreme Court.
To fill the spot, President Trump nominated Neomi Rao, an Indian woman in her 40s.
Her youth and conservative background fits the profile of a classic Trump judicial nominee.
But some Republicans raised red flags.
Missouri Senator Josh Hawley questioned Rao’s previous writings as not sufficiently committed to the pro-life cause.
“I’m undecided and concerned,” Senator Hawley told the New York Times in an interview. “I have not decided which way to vote. I’m trying to figure it out.”
“I will not vote to confirm nominees whom I believe will expand substantive due process precedents like Roe v. Wade and Casey v. Planned Parenthood of Southeast Pennsylvania,” Hawley wrote in a letter questioning Rao’s commitment to overturning Roe v. Wade.
But Rao and her allies in the conservative legal movement assuaged Hawley’s concerns.
Hawley announced he would support Rao after a lengthy meeting in his office.
“We had a long discussion. She was in my office for nearly a full hour. I appreciated her candor. It was very, very thorough,” Hawley told reporters.
Hawley said he also reached out to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas – whom Rao clerked for – and he vouched for her conservative credentials.
Iowa Senator Joni Ernst also raised questions about Rao’s 1994 writings about how women could avoid sexual assault on college campuses.
“A good way to avoid a potential date rape is to stay reasonably sober,” Rao wrote.
“Unless someone made her drink undetectably strong or forced them down her throat, a woman, like a man, decides when and how much to drink,” Rao continued. “If she drinks to the point where she can no longer choose, well, getting to that point was a part of her choice.”
Ernst recently revealed that she was sexually assaulted in her youth.
But after meeting Rao, Ernst announced she would also vote to confirm her to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.
“I did feel much much better about where she stands now especially when it comes to issues like date rape,” Ernst declared. “I felt comfortable moving her out of committee today. I expect that she will be supported on the floor of the Senate and she will move on to the circuit court.”
Republicans ultimately confirmed Rao to replace Kavanaugh in a 53 to 46 vote.
Trump supporters believe the President secured another victory in what will be his most enduring legacy – reshaping the United States judiciary.
We will keep you up to date on any new developments in this ongoing story.
