Eight days before the US presidential election, Donald Trump recorded a huge victory with the confirmation of Conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.

This institution, the most prestigious in the United States, is now firmly and durably anchored on the Right.

Despite the opposition of Democrats to a process deemed "illegitimate" so close to the presidential election, the elected Republican, the majority in the Upper House, all, with one exception, voted for the candidate chosen by the president.

This 48-year-old Catholic mother of seven and opposed to abortion, was to be sworn in at the White House.

She could join the temple of American law on Tuesday, where she will take the seat left vacant by the death of the progressive and feminist icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg on September 18.

Galvanize the religious right

The Supreme Court, arbiter of major social issues in the United States, will thus have six conservative judges out of nine, including three appointed by Donald Trump.

This undeniable success is likely to galvanize voters on the religious right, who are grateful to the former real estate mogul for appointing, during his tenure, more than 200 judges faithful to their values ​​across the country. federal court system.

Whatever the result of the November 3 election, this record will be lasting, because these positions are "for life" and Donald Trump has chosen generally young magistrates.

Judge Barrett "will be great, and she's here for a long time," the president-candidate also said at a meeting in front of his supporters in the key state of Pennsylvania.

A "historic" day

Speaking one last time before the vote, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham hailed a "historic" day and praised an "impressive scholar."

Amy Coney Barrett is "brilliant, qualified", applies the law and does not meddle in politics, added Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has imposed an extremely tight schedule on the confirmation process.

His Democratic counterpart Chuck Schumer denounced their "hypocrisy".

For him, Judge Barrett was not chosen for her qualifications but because she "has radical right-wing opinions", notably on abortion, civil rights or the environment.

He emphatically expressed his "sadness" at what is for him "one of the darkest days in American history".

For lack of levers to block this appointment, the Democrats tried to transform the debates, broadcast in part on television channels, into a forum on the future of Obamacare health insurance, which Donald Trump wants to repeal.

The high court must indeed examine on November 10 an appeal against this emblematic law of the former Democratic president, on which the judge has expressed reservations in the past.

With AFP

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