Shawn GriffithsPresident Donald Trump announced Tuesday evening that his pick to fill the late Justice Antonin Scalia's vacant seat on the Supreme Court is Judge Neil Gorsuch. Gorsuch, 49, currently serves on the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, Colorado, and was appointed by President George W. Bush.
CNN reported Tuesday that two finalists were flown to Washington ahead of the president's primetime announcement, Gorsuch and Third Circuit Judge Thomas Hardiman -- also a Bush appointee.
For those keeping an eye on Twitter, a new account was created with Gorsuch's name hours ahead of the announcement with the handle, @JusticeNGorsuch. Who created it has not been verified as the account calls him an "Associate Justice of the Supreme Court" before he has even been given a confirmation hearing.
The account raised plenty of eyebrows as another account was created for Hardiman.
Hardiman's account was not as presumptuous, though, calling him a "Nominee for Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court."
Minutes before the formal announcement, Gorsuch's account thanked President Trump for the nomination:
https://twitter.com/JusticeNGorsuch/status/826593123866382337
Neither account was verified by Twitter ahead of the announcement.
Despite the last minute, reality-tv-style drama, Gorsuch ended up being Trump's finalist. He believes in a literal interpretation of the constitution and according to a study led by Mercer University law Professor Jeremy Kidd, is very similar to Scalia, a nominee Trump promised to deliver on the campaign trail.
If confirmed, Gorsuch would be the youngest member of the Supreme Court by about half a decade. Currently, the youngest member of the high court is Justice Elena Kagan at 56.
Watch the full announcement (start video at 21:00):