Judging Biden

Published January 15, 2021 4:00am ET



Judicial appointments are the brightest lights of Donald Trump’s turbulent presidency. Long after his tax cuts have been reversed and regulatory reforms rescinded, indeed long after his tweets have been memory-holed, the youthful originalists Trump appointed to the bench, most notably three Supreme Court justices, will still affect our lives.

But that’s actually one of the least surprising things about the Trump years, because presidents have few constitutional powers, at least in the domestic sphere, more important than appointing judges. Ruth Bader Ginsburg served nearly 30 years on the high court, giving President Bill Clinton’s legal agenda a bridge to the 21st century. Antonin Scalia did the same for President Ronald Reagan.

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