Trump’s impact on courts likely to last long beyond his term

WASHINGTON (AP) — Enemies and allies of President Donald Trump agree about his legacy on courts:  Americans will be feeling the impact of Trump’s judicial appointments for decades to come.

Trump leaves office having appointed more than 230 federal judges.

That means Trump-appointed judges ruling on abortion, gun rights and other intensely debated matters into the middle of this century.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell tells The Associated Press that setting the stage for those appointments was “far and away” the most consequential thing he’s been involved in.

Democratic Senate Judiciary Committee member Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island accuses Trump of opening the judicial nomination process to special interests, by allowing right-wing groups influence over selection of Trump’s nominees.