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US President Donald Trump has named 53-year-old Brett Kavanaugh as his pick to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court. The Yale Law School graduate has served as a judge on the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit since 2006 and once clerked for Kennedy.

Kavanaugh first gained attention during his time working for former independent counsel Ken Starr during the investigation into then-President Bill Clinton. His record on women’s and LGBT rights is sparse, but he has been a strong supporter of executive power, including calling for sitting presidents to be shielded from criminal investigations and civil lawsuits while they are in office. 

Kavanaugh will need 51 votes to clear the Senate. All eyes will be on Republican senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins – and whether they'll deem the pick too extreme on reproductive health.