What to expect from federal judges appointed by Trump or Harris − based on what we’ve seen from Trump and Biden picks for the Supreme Court and lower courts

A pediment on the U.S. Supreme Court promising that justice is the guardian of liberty. Kimm Baker/Moment/Getty Images by Paul M. Collins Jr., UMass Amherst The past eight years have clearly demonstrated that who sits on the federal courts matters. The country has watched the Supreme Court take a sharp turn to the right on issues such as abortion, the Second Amendment and presidential power. And the public has lost faith in the Supreme Court, which has an approval rating of 40%, a record low. The opening of the court’s term on Oct. 7, 2024, provides an opportunity to think about how presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris differ with respect to the appointment of judges. During their terms, the Trump-Pence administration appointed 223 federal district court and court of appeals judges, and the Biden-Harris administration has thus far appointed more than 210 district court and court of appeals judges. Together, this makes up just over half of all judges serving on these courts. As a leading expert in the selection of federal judges and judicial decision-making, I have thoroughly analyzed both candidates’ records regarding judicial nominations. What emerges is a stark contrast between the two. The Trump-Pence administration...