President-elect Donald Trump is set to build on his judicial legacy by appointing more conservative judges, potentially surpassing the 234 appointments made during his first term. This move could cement a more conservative federal judiciary, with Republican-appointed judges already holding half of all active appellate court seats.
Trump’s approach may differ from his previous adviser, Leonard Leo, who focused on nominees aligned with the Federalist Society. Instead, Trump has surrounded himself with new conservative allies, including Mike Davis, founder of the Article III Project. Davis believes Trump’s biggest accomplishment was transforming the judiciary and hopes he builds upon this in his second term.
Some potential candidates for future vacancies include Florida-based U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon and Texas-based U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk. However, the scope of Trump’s ability to reshape the judiciary will be limited by the number of vacancies he can fill, currently 47 seats vacant and 20 more expected to open up in the future.
With Republicans set to control the Senate, Trump is likely to have an easy path to confirm judicial nominees. This could result in a more conservative federal judiciary that would likely cast a skeptical eye on environmental and financial regulations and uphold Trump’s agenda.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-readies-name-fearless-conservative-judges-second-term-2024-11-07