- Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky has announced he will support Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump’s nominee to succeed Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court.
- Paul initially had concerns over some key issues, including privacy rights.
WASHINGTON – Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky announced on Monday he would support Brett Kavanaugh to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement. Paul had been undecided over privacy-rights concerns.
“After meeting Judge Kavanaugh and reviewing his record, I have decided to support his nomination,” Paul wrote on Twitter. “No one will ever completely agree with a nominee (unless of course, you are the nominee). Each nominee however, must be judged on the totality of their views character and opinions.”
He added: “In reviewing his record on other privacy cases like Jones, and through my conversation with him, I have hope that in light of the new precedent in Carpenter v. United States, Judge Kavanaugh will be more open to a Fourth Amendment that protects digital records and property.”
Paul also noted that his was “not a single-issue vote” and said “much of my reading and conversation has been in trying to figure out exactly how good Judge Kavanaugh will be on other issues before the Court.”
While Paul had previously been skeptical of Kavanaugh, few Republicans were worried about what his ultimate position was going to be. Still, there remain a handful of undecided senators. They include Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, two Republicans who support abortion rights.
In addition, a group of Democrats up for reelection in conservative states are still undecided on President Donald Trump's nominee.
The fact a vote is expected this fall, just before the midterm elections in November, could tilt the scales for many Democrats on the fence.