From guns to gay rights, Justice Anthony Kennedy was the Supreme Court’s swing vote

Supreme Court Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy, the ideological fulcrum of the high court whose support for gay rights culminated in his 2015 decision striking down state bans against same-sex marriage , is retiring at the pinnacle of his career. Kennedy's retirement will leave a hole for President Donald Trump to fill smack in the middle of the deeply divided court, where all nine justices tend to vote the way the presidents who nominated them expected.

Chris Matthews: ‘Hell to pay’ if Democrats don’t block Trump’s Supreme Court pick

Chris Matthews, the host of MSNBC's "Hardball", warned the Democratic leadership "will have hell to pay" with voters if the party fails to block President Donald Trump's pick to replace Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, who announced Wednesday that he is retiring at the end of July. Matthews said that because Senate Republicans, led by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, refused to even meet with former President Barack Obama's pick to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia, Democrats have to do everything in their power to stop Trump's pick from being confirmed.

Justice Kennedy’s exit triggers epic Supreme Court clash

President Donald Trump speaks to the media regarding the announcement that Supreme Court Associate Justice Anthony M. Kennedy will retire at the end of July, during his meeting with Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, June 27, 2018. less President Donald Trump speaks to the media regarding the announcement that Supreme Court Associate Justice Anthony M. Kennedy will retire at the end of July, during his meeting with Portuguese President Marcelo ... more WASHINGTON - The retirement of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy will set off a fractious nomination process, as President Donald Trump seeks to cement his legacy with another conservative jurist.

Trump meets president of Portugal at White House Source: AP

Meeting in the maelstrom of breaking news, President Donald Trump took a moment Wednesday to explain the significance of a Supreme Court vacancy to visiting Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. Trump greeted Rebelo de Sousa in the Oval Office and then turned to the cameras to offer his reaction to Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy's retirement.

The Latest: Civil rights groups want court vote postponed Source: AP

Various civil rights groups are backing calls from Democratic lawmakers to hold off on a vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy's replacement until after the November elections. Vanita Gupta, head of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, says senators need to put country over party and use every tool to stop what she calls President Donald Trump's plan "to take over the Supreme Court for the next 40 years."

Ex-GOP strategist Schmidt: Dems should ‘do everything…

Former GOP presidential campaign manager Steve Schmidt said Wednesday that "Democrats should dig in hard" and "do everything they conceivably can do to block" Donald John Trump Crowley stunner tops huge night for left Trump congratulates Romney on primary win Judge orders Trump admin to begin reuniting immigrant families MORE "And for the fabric of our democracy, Democrats should dig in hard here and do everything they conceivably can do to block this nomination, any nomination from going forward until after we see what happens in the midterm election," Schmidt said in a phone interview on MSNBC, where he serves as a political analyst.

‘This cannot be overstated’: Trump’s massive chance to reshape America

New York: In the early days of Donald Trump's presidency, many progressive Americans dared to believe that maybe, just maybe, his election victory would not prove as consequential as they first feared. Yes, a man they thought dangerous and demagogic was in the White House but the other branches of government - Congress and the courts - were providing an effective brake on executive power.

Trump comes to Wisconsin to tout Foxconn amid Harley flap

In this July 26, 2017 file photo, President Donald Trump, waves as he departs with House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis., left, and Terry Gou, president and chief executive officer of Foxconn, after an event in the East Room of the White House in Washington. The ceremonial groundbreaking for a massive $10 billion Foxconn factory complex in Wisconsin was supposed to be evidence that the manufacturing revival fueled by President Donald Trump's "America First" policy is well underway.

House Overwhelmingly Rejects GOP Immigration Bill

Despite a last-minute endorsement from President Donald Trump, the House on Wednesday roundly rejected a comprehensive Republican immigration bill that would have funded a border wall and sought to keep migrant families together despite prosecution. The measure also provided a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children-a concession hardline Republicans had vehemently opposed.

The Latest: Trump explains Kennedy retirement to de Sousa

President Donald Trump speaks to the media regarding the announcement that Supreme Court Associate Justice Anthony M. Kennedy is retiring, during his meeting with Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, June 27, 2018. less President Donald Trump speaks to the media regarding the announcement that Supreme Court Associate Justice Anthony M. Kennedy is retiring, during his meeting with Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa in ... more FILe - In this Feb. 18, 1988, file photo Anthony Kennedy, left, takes the constitutional oath as a Supreme Court Associate Justice from Chief Justice William Rehnquist at a White House ceremony in Washington.

Energy 202: White House seeking more clean energy cuts despite…

The Trump administration is preparing to ask for even deeper funding cuts to clean energy research at the Energy Department - just months after Congress rejected proposed cuts to those offices. The White House's Office of Management and Budget on Friday directed the department to submit a budget request that would reduce funding for all nondefense offices by 5 percent from what the administration sent to Congress for fiscal 2019.

The Latest: In Oklahoma, Republicans ousted over teacher pay

It was a mixed bag for teachers running for political office in Oklahoma but a bad night for incumbent Republicans who voted against a tax package earlier this year to fund a teacher pay raise. Several GOP incumbents who voted against the tax hikes were either ousted from office or pulled into a runoff against a fellow GOP opponent, a signal some teacher candidates say bodes well for them in November.

Divided by infighting, U.S. Congress struggles on immigration

The Republican-controlled U.S. Congress, riddled by factional infighting, looks unlikely to act decisively this week on the immigration crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border, providing few answers on what comes next for separated parents and children. President Donald Trump's abrupt order last week to end his policy of breaking up families at the border failed to explain how his aggressive policies on illegal immigration could be adjusted to keep families intact, house them and assess their legal status.

Federal judge blocks Kentucky’s Medicaid work requirements

A federal judge says Kentucky can't require poor people to get a job to keep their Medicaid benefits, chastising President Donald Trump's administration for rubber-stamping the new rules without considering how many people would lose their health coverage. The decision is a setback for the Trump administration, which has been encouraging states to impose work requirements and other changes on Medicaid, the joint state and federal health insurance program for the poor and disabled.