Trump Taps Gorsuch

President Trump announced Tuesday night his nomination of Neil Gorsuch to replace the late Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court.

Gorsuch, a native of Colorado, was appointed to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals by George W. Bush in 2006. He attended Harvard Law School and earned a Ph.D from Oxford.

Over at National Review, Ramesh Ponnuru has an interesting profile of Gorsuch that's worth reading. An excerpt:

What recommended Gorsuch was his reputation for legal excellence and his relative lack of controversy. Trump has said that he wants the Senate to change its rules so that Supreme Court nominees with the support of 51 senators are guaranteed confirmation, but it is not clear that the Senate and its leaders are willing to do that. While everyone involved in the process respects Pryor, they also think Gorsuch would be likely to get more votes.

Gorsuch's tie to Justice Kennedy, frequently a swing vote on the Supreme Court, may also be an asset. If Gorsuch can persuade Kennedy to join an opinion, a narrow loss for the conservative position could become a narrow win. There is also the possibility that Gorsuch's presence would reassure Kennedy about the direction of the Court and make him more willing to let Trump name his own replacement.