Brett Kavanaugh: Fast facts about Trump’s Supreme Court nominee
Get to know Trump's potential Supreme Court nominees before tonight's announcement.
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President Trump has nominated Brett Kavanaugh to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court, marking the second high court nomination of his presidency. Here's what you should know about Kavanaugh, and how he compares to other finalists for the position.
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Brett Kavanaugh
Age: 53
Education: Yale University (He attended both as an undergraduate and as a law student)
Current position: Judge on the federal appellate court for the District of Columbia, where he has served since 2006
Work history: Kavanaugh worked on the investigation that led to then-President Bill Clinton's impeachment. According to the Chicago Sun Times, following the investigation, he "wrote that he thinks presidents shouldn't have to deal with criminal investigations or civil lawsuits while in office."
On hot-button issues: Kavanaugh has a tendency to side with religious organizations, according to CBS News. He also recently dissented on a ruling that required an immigrant minor to be given access to an abortion. On net neutrality, Kavanaugh, sided with conservatives, dissenting when courts upheld Obama's net-neutrality regulations.
Interesting fact: Kavanaugh coaches his two daughters' basketball teams.
Three other jurists were reported to be finalists for the position. Thomas Hardiman, a judge on the Philadelphia-based Third Circuit Court of Appeals, was also a finalist for the last opening on the Supreme Court, which ultimately went to Justice Neil Gorsuch. Here is background on the other contenders for the position.
Amy Coney Barrett
Age: 46
Education: Rhodes College for her undergraduate degree and Notre Dame Law School
Current position: Judge on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, examining cases from Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana
Work history: Barrett was a law professor at Notre Dame University before her appointment to the 7th Circuit court.
On hot-button issues: Barrett, who is Catholic, has said that Catholics are "morally precluded" from upholding the death penalty, according to the Chicago Sun Times. She's also said judges should exclude their personal beliefs when making rulings and has asserted that her personal views on issues like abortion wouldn't affect her decisions.
Interesting fact: If the mother of seven is nominated and confirmed, it would be the first time four women were serving on the Supreme Court at one time.
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Thomas Hardiman
Age: 53
Education: Notre Dame University for his undergraduate degree and Georgetown Law
Current position: Judge on the Philadelphia-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, hearing federal appeals from Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and the Virgin Islands
Work history: Hardiman was appointed as a federal district judge at age 37. He was strongly considered for the Supreme Court in 2017; Trump ultimately nominated Neil Gorsuch.
On hot-button issues: Like Raymond Kethledge, another finalist, Hardiman has supported the Second Amendment, dissenting from rulings that upheld gun regulations. Hardiman also was involved in a decision that upheld the rights of prisons to strip search inmates.
Interesting fact: Multiple news outlets have reported that Hardiman was the first in his family to attend college, and that he paid his law school tuition by driving a taxi.
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Raymond Kethledge
Age: 51
Education: University of Michigan (for both his undergraduate and law degrees)
Current position: Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, which hears appeals from Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee
Work history: Kethledge worked as counsel to Republican Sen. Spencer Abraham of Michigan in the 1990s, according to the Chicago Sun Times.
On hot-button issues: Kethledge, CBS News said, is a strong defender of the Second Amendment. In Tyler v. Hillsdale County Sheriffs Department, Kethledge joined a concurring opinion that said a man who had been involuntarily committed to a psychiatric unit could not constitutionally be banned from owning a gun. Kethledge has also made conservative rulings on immigration, and against unions.
Interesting fact: A hunter and fisher, Kethledge's office is a converted barn that reportedly has no internet connection and is heated by a wood burning stove.