

The Most Influential Judges Are Trump Appointees. Here’s How Democrats Can Respond.
Donald J. Trump appointed 234 federal judges in his first term. Trump, as is his wont, claims, with an inflated number, that he appointed a record number of judges. As the election closes in, Democrats in Congress are rushing to confirm as many judges as possible. Why? To match or beat Trump’s 234.
Federal judges, with lifetime appointments, are around for a lot longer than presidents. Trump’s judges, who are the youngest cohort of judges appointed by any president, will be making law for decades. If the Democrats worry that the Trump judges have problematic views on key issues—guns, religion, abortion—then they will want to appoint a set of judges who are likely to counter their effect.
But focusing only on the raw number of judges misses a crucial fact about how they shape the law. When it comes to exerting influence on the bench, some judges are likely to be more equal than others. And Trump’s judges have been the most influential of all.