The Second Amendment seems in great hands. Ballotpedia (think wikipedia for political information, without the liberal bias) has a report that says Trump will probably end up appointing just over half of federal judges during his first term. Because Harry Reid invoked the "nuclear option" to allow a simple majority of the US Senate to approve judicial nominations, Democrats stand helpless to interfere with Trump's nominees. Even worse for them, the election in two years will see 23 Democrats defending their seats, compared to 8 Republicans. It has the potential for an electoral bloodbath for Dems. Eight of those Democrat seats are in states that voted Republican in November 2016.
Trump has already released a list of names he would consider for the US Supreme Court. All of them are solid and then some on the Second Amendment. It stands to reason if he doesn't use those names for Scalia's seat, then those jurists might be considered for lesser court positions.
Here's the teaser from the report.
At the start of his presidential term of office, President-elect Donald Trump inherits a large number of vacancies in the federal judiciary. When Trump assumes office on January 20, 2017, of the 870 life-term Article III federal judgeships, he inherits 108 vacancies. According to the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts, as of January 12, 2017, an additional 13 judges have announced their intention to leave active judicial status between January 20 and December 31, 2017.[1]
Ballotpedia examined the state of the federal judiciary at the start of Trump’s term and compared that data with his five immediate predecessors. We also explored the potential for judicial openings during Trump’s first term of office.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Of the 870 life-term federal judicial positions, Trump inherits 108 vacancies. Not since Bill Clinton has an incoming president had the opportunity to fill this many life-term appointments to Article III courts at the start of an administration. For a breakdown of these numbers by presidency, please see: Vacancies by term.
- The 108 vacancies represent roughly one in every eight life-term judicial positions (12.41%).
- Over half, or approximately 438, judges currently serving in these 870 positions will be eligible to take senior status, thereby creating a judicial vacancy, by the end of 2020. This means there is a possibility that 50.3 percent of life-term appointments could be vacant by the end of Trump’s first term.
I am absolutely ok with getting sick of winning, bring it on.