President Donald Trump already appointed one justice to the U.S. Supreme Court, now there's a chance he could nominate a second.
Rumors are swirling that Justice Anthony Kennedy may soon retire, opening the door for a second Trump appointment.
“Even though Justice Anthony Kennedy was a Republican appointee he tends to be very moderate and on some issues very much to the left, so if President Trump is able to put a new justice on the court, it would shift the court futher to the right,” says Josh Blackman, associate professor of law at South Texas College of Law Houston.
“Kennedy still considers himself a Republican, and I think that might be motivating his decision.”
Blackman says Trump's judicial appointments already will leave a lasting imprint for decades to come.
“President Trump's longest lasting legacy, his biggest contribution to the Republic will be the courts, not just the Supreme Court, but also the lower courts where he's been very successful at putting on judges.”
Kennedy turns 82 in July, making him the second oldest member of the court after Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who's 85.