When Justice Antonin Scalia died in February 2016, McConnell decided immediately that the Senate would not fill the seat until the next president was elected.
He stuck to that stance without wavering, ignoring Democratic griping, misgivings from fellow Republicans, and ultimately erroneous predictions that GOP Senate candidates would pay a political price.
Now McConnell, R-Ky, can take credit for allowing Trump to put a young conservative on the court for life, even though it took changing Senate rules to do it.
Democrats and some Republicans predicted dire fallout from McConnell's divisive Senate rules change that removed the 60-vote filibuster barrier for Supreme Court picks, warning of a more polarised Senate and court over time. But most in the GOP were full of praise for the wily Kentuckian.
"Mitch did what he thought was the right thing at the time, and I think the American people agreed with it, as was evidenced by the outcome of the election," said Senator John Thune, R-SD "And now we have a great justice on the Supreme Court."
And next time Democrats control the White House and the Senate, they could be the ones to benefit from the rules change enacted under McConnell, since it will apply to all future Supreme Court nominees, too, eliminating any need for input from the minority party in making confirmations to the high court.
"The Republicans engaged in historic obstructionism that made it possible for this confirmation process to be conducted," said Senator Ed Markey, D-Mass.
Some Republicans say that the vacancy on the Supreme Court was an important factor in Trump's victory in November, since the prospect of putting a conservative on the court helped evangelicals and other voters overcome their misgivings about Trump.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Access to Exclusive Premium Stories
Over 30 subscriber-only stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app