WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump interviewed Judge Amul Thapar, and three other legal luminaries as potential nominees to replace Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy. If nominated and confirmed by the Senate, the Indian-American will be the first from the community to be on the bench of the nine-member apex court. Trump said, “We'll make a decision... over the next few days and we'll be announcing it on Monday. I think the person that is chosen will be outstanding.”
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said that Trump was looking for individuals who have the right intellect, the right temperament, and will uphold the Constitution. She added that he met each contender for 45 minutes. Thapar is among the 25 shortlisted judges by the US President, and the country's first Article III judge of South Asian descent. “I think he's absolutely brilliant, with the right temperament,” said Senator Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader. The US media has shown utmost support for Thapar, with Fox News saying he would be good for the apex court as well as the Republicans.
He is a “shining example of the success of the four-million-strong Indian-American community” which now has the highest median household income in the country. The report also said, “Although Asian voters made up only 4 per cent of the electorate in 2016, they are the fastest growing part of the electorate and a key factor in swing states such as Nevada and Virginia.” Justice Kennedy announced his retirement from the US Supreme Court last week.
Thapar began his legal career in private practice, after clerkships with Judge S. Arthur Spiegel of the District Court for the Southern District of Ohio and Judge Nathaniel R. Jones of the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. He received his BS from Boston College in 1991 and his JD from the University of California, Berkeley.
