Rand Paul reveals he'll vote for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is all in for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
After weeks of apparent indecision, the Kentucky Republican confirmed in a statement Monday that he will support President Trump's nominee. Paul said in the statement that he's still worried about Kavanaugh's views on data privacy, but after hearing Kavanaugh's strong defenses of First and Second Amendment rights, he decided Kavanaugh was the right man for the job.
The Senate's notorious libertarian has caused trouble for several of Trump's nominees, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and CIA Director Gina Haspel, both of whom ended up being confirmed. After Trump named Kavanaugh to replace the retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy, Paul told Politico that he was "honestly undecided" on whether to support the judge because Kavanaugh appeared to prioritize national security over personal privacy. But pundits were convinced Paul would eventually side with Trump.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Paul confirmed everyone's suspicions in his Monday statement, putting one more Republican behind Kavanaugh. Republicans have a 51-49 majority in the Senate, and Kavanaugh needs at least 50 lawmaker votes to win the nomination (Vice President Mike Pence can serve as a tiebreaker). But many Senate Democrats have condemned Trump's nominee, and potential swing vote Republicans Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine haven't revealed their positions yet, leaving Kavanaugh's spot on the bench a little shaky.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
Today's political cartoons - December 7, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - merry-go-round, sleigh bells, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 hilariously hypermasculine cartoons about Pete Hegseth's nomination
Cartoons Artists take on battlefields, mommy issues, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Teriyaki salmon skewers recipe
Recipe This delicious Asian-inspired dish is easy to make
By The Week UK Published
-
Judge blocks Louisiana 10 Commandments law
Speed Read U.S. District Judge John deGravelles ruled that a law ordering schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms was unconstitutional
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
ATF finalizes rule to close 'gun show loophole'
Speed Read Biden moves to expand background checks for gun buyers
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Hong Kong passes tough new security law
Speed Read It will allow the government to further suppress all forms of dissent
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
France enshrines abortion rights in constitution
speed read It became the first country to make abortion a constitutional right
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Texas executes man despite contested evidence
Speed Read Texas rejected calls for a rehearing of Ivan Cantu's case amid recanted testimony and allegations of suppressed exculpatory evidence
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Supreme Court wary of state social media regulations
Speed Read A majority of justices appeared skeptical that Texas and Florida were lawfully protecting the free speech rights of users
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Greece legalizes same-sex marriage
Speed Read Greece becomes the first Orthodox Christian country to enshrine marriage equality in law
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump and his lawyer Alina Habba have a rough day in defamation court
Speed Read Trump's audible grousing as E. Jean Carroll testified earned him a warning he could be thrown out of court, and Habba showed she 'doesn't know what the hell she's doing'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published