Gorsuch takes oath, pledges faithfulness to Constitution

Newly appointed Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch took two oaths of office this morning—one private and one public—to begin his term on the nation’s highest court. Justice Anthony Kennedy, for whom Gorsuch once clerked, administered the public oath during a ceremony in the White House Rose Garden. President Donald Trump praised Gorsuch as a justice who will rule “not on his personal preferences but based on a fair and objective reading of the law.” In his remarks, Gorsuch pledged to be a “faithful servant of the Constitution and laws of this great nation.” He thanked his family, friends, and former law clerks for their support. He also thanked Kennedy, calling him a mentor. Gorsuch replaces Justice Antonin Scalia, who died last year. Although Democrats fought his nomination, the Gorsuch appointment maintains the court’s even split between conservative and liberal justices, with Kennedy often acting as the swing vote.