Article snippet: MORE on Monday selected Brett Kavanaugh as his nominee to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court, setting up a fierce confirmation battle as he seeks to cement conservative control of the nation’s highest court. Trump announced the selection of Kavanaugh, a politically connected judge on the influential U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, after a suspenseful day that resembled the lead-up to his first Supreme Court pick, Justice Neil Gorsuch. “There is no one in America more qualified for this position and no one more deserving,” said Trump, who expressed confidence Kavanaugh will set aside his political views “to do what the law and the Constitution require.” The president sought to build drama up until the end, refusing to announce his pick until five minutes after he started speaking. That is when Kavanaugh, his wife and two daughters walked down a long corridor and onto the podium. Dozens of Republican senators, top administration officials and outside allies, such as conservative talk show host Laura Ingraham and Trump personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, mingled afterward in the main entrance hall for a reception while a Marine Corps band played a rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “I Wish.” The celebration underscored Republican hopes about the direction of the court under Trump. By selecting Kavanaugh, the president is replacing a swing vote on the bench with a dyed-in-the-wool conservative. Kennedy sided with liberals in key de... Link to the full article to read more