How Senate tactics and an election upset secured Neil Gorsuch’s seat on the Court
The podcast episode explains how the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, a Republican Senate blockade and an unexpected election result led to Neil Gorsuch’s appointment, shaping today’s conservative Supreme Court majority.
When Justice Antonin Scalia died in February 2016, the Supreme Court seemed poised to shift toward a 5-4 liberal tilt. Instead, Senate Republicans erected a formidable obstruction, and a later electoral upset cleared the way for a conservative appointment. President Trump nominated Neil Gorsuch, whose confirmation process was marked by intense political maneuvering.
The second episode of the season delves into Gorsuch’s fraught path to the bench and his reputation as a swing vote on the Court. It also notes that the season was produced before the most recent term concluded and teases an upcoming conversation about the June rulings and Gorsuch’s participation. Listeners are invited to join Slate Plus for bonus content and ad-free listening.
Why it matters
Understanding Gorsuch’s rise reveals how political strategy reshaped the Supreme Court’s ideological balance.
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