Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement Wednesday morning from the U.S. Supreme Court. Often a swing justice, it gives President Trump a great opportunity to protect the court for decades to come. Of late, we have seen how important that is.

President Trump will look for another Neil Gorsuch who will always uphold the Constitution and not try to legislate from the bench.

His retirement is effective July 31.

It’s likely Trump’s choice will be reasonable but not someone who is willing to depart from the Constitution as Kennedy was, particularly in the gay marriage case. The government should stay out of marriage.

It won’t be a pick in the last year of Trump’s presidency which is especially critical, and it will be before the Congress changes over. That means his choice will get through the Congress. The appointement will be in the Fall.

Kennedy led narrow majorities to landmark decisions on gay rights, abortion, the First Amendment, and Guantanamo Bay detainees. He is a dignified justice with strong independent views. Justice Kennedy turns 81 in July.

This is a huge gift for the President and for traditional Americans who oppose socialism. Liberals and leftists have been begging Kennedy to stay.

Chris Wallace on Justice Kennedy retiring: “A Supreme Court nominee can either be a huge legacy builder for a president or it can be very disappointing.” #DailyBriefing https://t.co/7Do7LBbAzT pic.twitter.com/P4KKhrZL9Q — Fox News (@FoxNews) June 27, 2018

THE LEFT IS DISTRAUGHT

Expect a lot of screaming and threatening from the left. They will leave no stone unturned and will use it to fundraise and demand Democrats be elected.

How very cool of Justice Kennedy to pour kerosene on the current dumpster fire that is America. The Roe v Wade riots should provide fine entertainment for him in his retirement. — Molly Knight (@molly_knight) June 27, 2018

Now that Justice Kennedy is retiring, I propose we use Mitch McConnell logic, which states that anytime a Supreme Court seat becomes vacant, it shouldn’t be filled until the next Presidential election. We MUST Let the American People Choose, right? — Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) June 27, 2018

Congrats America! Now that Justice Kennedy is retiring, criminal con-man Trump will be free to pick a justice who’ll be the deciding vote in dismantling Roe v. Wade, and bringing back the horrific era of coat-hangers and back-alley abortions. If only… *** But her emails *** — Bill Madden (@activist360) June 27, 2018

NO new Supreme Court nominations by Trump to replace Justice Kennedy. NONE. He is in blatant violation of the Constitution and must be impeached. Senate and House Judiciary Committee hearings are way past due. I have had it with appeasement of aspiring dictators. — Richard W. Painter (@RWPUSA) June 27, 2018

Awful that Justice Kennedy is retiring. A president under FBI investigation should not be able to appoint a Supreme Court Justice until cleared of all wrongdoing. — Kaivan Shroff (@KaivanShroff) June 27, 2018

Two strong contenders last year were Third Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Thomas Hardiman of Pennsylvania, appointed by President George W. Bush and 11th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge William Pryor of Alabama: “He’s well known to the conservative movement” in the “mold of Scalia” and “someone who knows a lot about both the criminal law and constitutional law.”

OTHER STRONG 2017 CONTENDERS

Diane Sykes, 60, Judge, 7th Circuit Court of Appeals

Raymond Kethledge, 51

Judge, 6th Circuit Court of Appeals

Don Willett, 51, Texas Supreme Court

Thomas Lee, 52, Utah Supreme Court, Sen. Mike Lee’s brother

Steven Colloton, 55, from Iowa, and Raymond Gruender from St Louis, who both sit on the Eighth Circuit, Bob Young, 66, the chief justice of Michigan’s Supreme Court who is Black, Amul Thapar, 48, a federal judge in Detroit who is of South Asian descent, and Venezuelan-born Federico Moreno, 65.

Current @PredictIt prices on the replacement for Justice Kennedy I'm suspecting some insiders have been betting on Brett Kavanaugh pic.twitter.com/AZbNCi8Q1v — Will Chamberlain 🇺🇸 (@willchamberlain) June 27, 2018