Bush’s former aid becomes the new head of the supreme court

President Trump has nominated a former aide to President George W Bush to fill the vacant seat on the Supreme Court and potentially tilt it in a conservative direction for years to come.

In a primetime ceremony choreographed with the showmanship of a reality television programme’s finale, Mr Trump named Brett Kavanaugh as his choice to replace the retiring justice Anthony Kennedy, who has been the swing vote on many of the deeply divided court’s most critical decisions over the past three decades.

The announcement in the White House’s East Room set off a confirmation battle that is expected to be fiercely fought and fraught with tactical considerations for both parties.