Transcript for Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy retiring

This is an ABC news. We're coming to you with a major breaking news from the world of politics. Supreme Court justice Anthony M. Kennedy. Announcing he will retire this leaves a major opening. On the Supreme Court of the United States for president Donald. Justice on the Supreme Court let's go straight to our chief anchor George Stephanopoulos would what this means George breakdown forest. Personal this is Titanic and the Tuesday breaking news as you said not only mr. Kennedy been a key swing vote. On the Supreme Court she has indeed swing vote should be deciding justices are already closely held. By the nation's one of the few justices except perhaps Justice Roberts on a couple of cases willing to start the Democrat is that just supported by democratic. President on the Supreme Court on issues like gay rights gay marriage. Abortion so many other key social issues Justice Kennedy has been the key approach this is setting up a national battle. For this. For the Supreme Court. Give us president trump a chance to put a decisive stance on spring or which you can expect Democrats do it to look at anyone. Did president trouble points and scream court with a close I was screw each fighting it all the way it would date remember. Is that when President Obama had a chance to appoint Supreme Court justice in his last year Republicans blocked it did not let them until the vacancy they're gonna fight this war. That George let's let's put. A list of the current supreme. Court justices you can see. Viewers at home be it was in the left side of the screen those who lean liberal and on the right side those who lean conservative. Sanity. Occupying that C central middle spot there so to talk to us again about his key role and what it will mean for the court going forward if Donald. In his stead. Well when you look at that lifts have done it judges that president trumped. And is considering. Scream what we will look at your course which is first choice you shouldn't go without court with the first they can speech that he was able to vote don't last share years. Much more likely to appoint some won't. Who is in the load Justice Alito. Just astonished. It. Solid conservatives on the court. Like or like justice course church rather than someone like Justice Kennedy who has been someone who's in who's moved between the coalition to move between the liberals and conservatives. On different issues in order reform those five to or majorities. This would be if he's president trump gets his way with whoever he appoint church he's he's going to have Supreme Court action it is decidedly conservative. As that is it that is able to form a much more decisive majorities around some of these big issues. Let's get a two ABC news chief White House correspondent John Karl who's standing by in our Washington bureau John. Give us a sense I know it's early it's extremely early this news is just minutes old. But how likely is it for the president to be able to get his picks. Europe. I think it's going to be have an epic battle as George just mentioned but I have talked to people involved with the on the president's team on this. And they are going to push to get a person nominated and confirmed before the mid term elections. That will be a monumental task Democrats. Will do everything in their power to prevent that from happening remember. The Republicans have right now Dan is simply a one seat majority in the senate thanks to the way they have changed the rules they can confirm. A justice. On a simple majority. And it will want to get this done it before the mid term elections before there's any chance that that. Majority goes away and I am told also that list that you were George mentioned the list of conservative. Judges did the president all lacks backing in in November. You know but back to after the election put out. Is the U list they will be going from to look for a replacement for Kennedy other words a hard line conservative. The people in the president's team involved in this. Do not believe in the tradition of you replace a moderate with a moderate there won't there'll be an effort. To replace Kennedy was somebody that would decisively. Sway the balance of power in the Supreme Court. John let's talk about the US senate because this is where rates are all gonna come downs the United States senate and as you said there Republicans have a one vote. Majority there so. If there are yeah Republican senators who have contentious relationships. We have the president of the united state John McCain comes to mind. Jeff flake from Arizona comes to mind. So is it possible that we could see members of the president's own party. Stop him on this. No question I'll also there's a question of John McCain has not been in Washington. Offer for a vote for some time obviously suffered from brain cancer. He's been our back in Arizona there's a question whether or not he would even be here to cast oh vote a vote which they would need. Potentially and also you have Voss Susan Collins who hasn't had as an openly contentious relationship with the president as somebody like Jeff flake or John McCain. But who is very much he moderates. Pro abortion rights. Our Republican. Who could potentially. A balk at the idea of somebody. That would do away for instance with with Roe vs. Wade could be decisive vote to do away with the roe V waits this. Even if the Republicans. Even if the president can manage a to get somebody nominated. To get through confirmation hearings and get to a vote on the US senate before the mid terms with that one seat majority it will be very difficult to get somebody. From this list of judges that they're working from. And let's bring in bill let's bring back in our our our chief anchor George Stephanopoulos on the phone who wants to win on this scored Jordan they picked up on the auditing I can gauge on exactly. There's going to be enormous pressure on every Republican to hang together. With the president and it proved his nominate judges it's it's been one of the one politician typically been a quote. For the Republican Party on the other hand without one seat majority the child is talking about. Every senator public interest or have tremendous leverage. You had people like Jeff Blake mentioned have filed court quoted as senator from Tennessee both of them are going to be retiring. From the China both of them. Page pictures that are flick especially has talked about. Holding up judicial nominations. If the pray if you can get his way if the president's shift some of our church. And other Republican issue Bob Corker has been quite critical the president two persons Welch. As John mentioned senators you can column also senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska might be another senator. Cool would be reluctant. Two vote for a justice who is going to overturn Roe vs. Wade to this that this is going to be a monumental battle and others question. On the democratic side where he guts and Democrats in red states or upper election Joseph mentioned in West Virginia how he height chance. In North Dakota court going to be facing some pressure to it will vote with the president. And against their party. And on this issue but this is sufficient to kind of issue they tend to galvanize parties tends to bring them together. I really can't overstate how big battle this going to be. As if we did not already live in interest in times let's bring in ABC news Supreme Court reporter. Terry Moran has been covering the court for many many years Teri as we. Round out this special report would you hold forth for a little bit on the legacy of soon to be retiring justice Anthony M. Kennedy in particular we know it. He made his mark on gay rights. He did it is will go down in history. As as the greatest justice. At the bank Gardner. That gay liberation of the law an unlikely candidate that he woods originally. Thirty years ago now he came to the court after the nomination of Robert Bork. Staunch conservatives sales and that was the most epic battle for the Supreme Court that anyone has seen up to that time and it makes sense in some ways it. Kennedy's. Replacement will face similar epic battle but in addition to secure it. And that Kennedy was very important and other fields as well. For example. When he came on the court. There was a pick battle could overturn roe vs gray and many people thought to time but he quickly got vote. To overturn roe vs way. He helped preserved the core of that decision and now if you leave. It is walk again an open question about that decision and others but he leaves a legacy of about libertarian bent and it gentle approach anyways that is frankly out of step with the times and wouldn't you. Terry Moran Jon Karl and George Stephanopoulos thank you all again the breaking news justice Anthony M. Kennedy stepping down. From the Supreme Court at the age of 81 years old after thirty. Monumental years on the court this is a huge breaking news story we will continue to cover it all day long and ABC news radio. Abcnews.com. We'll have much more coming up on world news tonight. Would David Mir for now I'm Dan Harris in New York thank. This has been a special. For me he's.

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