(TheLibertyRevolution.Com)- President Donald Trump on Friday nominated U.S. District Judge Justin Walker for a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
Walker, 38, is the youngest nominee for the circuit in quite a few years. The fight to confirm the nomination is likely to be the last major fight for judgeships before the November General Election. Walker is a long-time ally of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Walker, who is from Kentucky, currently serves on the federal trial court in Louisville. He has been a close person to McConnell for years, which reportedly helped him stand out among a wide selection of potential nominees. The position on the D.C. Circuit is often seen as a springboard to the Supreme Court.
A source who was involved in the selection of Walker told the Washington Free Beacon:
“Conservatives inside and outside of the administration recognize and appreciate the impact McConnell has had on the judiciary over many years, and very quickly agreed to McConnell’s preference, particularly since Walker looked like a safe pick. McConnell made his pitch. Everyone took a look at Walker. Then things fell into place very quickly.”
Walker was seen as solid because of his past and ties to Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Walker was a huge supporter of Kavanaugh’s during his confirmation hearings, and in fact, he served as a clerk for the Justice once he graduated from Harvard Law School.
Walker gave a lot of speeches and interviews promoting Kavanaugh during the contentious confirmation hearings, which in the long run, helped Walker earn the gratitude of the conservative party. Carrie Severino, of the Judicial Crisis Network, explained:
“Judge Walker was an unrelenting defender of Justice Kavanaugh during the left’s unprecedented smear campaign. I expect Walker to bring similar courage with him to the D.C. Circuit as he defends the rule of law. I look forward to his confirmation.”
Walker’s nomination was also applauded by other agencies, including Mike Davis from the Article III Project. The former chief nominations counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee said:
“We are thrilled with President Trump’s nomination of Judge Justin Walker to serve on the D.C. Circuit, a key federal appellate court that protects all Americans from arbitrary, harmful government actions by Washington’s out of control administrative state.”
The D.C> Circuit has jurisdiction over most federal agencies, and therefore has the ability to push Trump’s deregulatory agenda. Roughly 50% of what the D.C. Circuit hears revolves around agency proceedings, administrative law issues and regulations.
Walker has plenty of experience in Washington, as well. He used to be a speechwriter for Donald Rumsfeld, the former secretary of defense. He also clerked for Justice Anthony Kennedy and once practiced in the offices of the prestigious Washington law firm of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.
Since leaving Washington for Kentucky in 2013, Walker has served on the law faculty at the University of Louisville. Trump appointed Walker to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky in 2019.
