, ▁creating ▁a ▁second ▁vac ancy ▁on ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court . ▁In ▁early ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁Trump ▁nominated ▁Bre tt ▁K avan augh ▁as ▁his ▁replacement ; ▁K avan augh ▁was ▁confirmed ▁on ▁October ▁ 6 , ▁ 2 0 1 8 . ▁ ▁Both ▁the ▁G ors uch ▁and ▁K avan augh ▁confirm ations ▁were ▁enabled ▁by ▁a ▁rule ▁change ▁made ▁by ▁the ▁Senate ▁Republican ▁majority ▁in ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁which ▁applied ▁the ▁so - called ▁nuclear ▁option ▁to ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁nom ine es ▁and ▁allowed ▁nomin ations ▁to ▁be ▁advanced ▁by ▁a ▁simple ▁majority ▁vote ▁rather ▁than ▁the ▁historical ▁norm ▁of ▁a ▁three - fif th s ▁super major ity ▁vote . ▁ ▁Court ▁composition ▁ ▁President ▁Trump ▁began ▁his ▁term ▁in ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁with ▁a ▁vac ancy ▁to ▁be ▁filled ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁death ▁of ▁Justice ▁Anton in ▁S cal ia . ▁As ▁three ▁of ▁the ▁Court ' s ▁just ices ▁at ▁the ▁time — R uth ▁B ader ▁G ins burg ▁( born ▁ 1 9 3 3 ), ▁Anthony ▁Kennedy ▁( born ▁ 1 9 3 6 ) ▁and ▁Stephen ▁Bre yer ▁( born ▁ 1 9 3 8 ) — w ere ▁aged ▁ 7 8 ▁or ▁older , ▁spec ulation ▁arose ▁that ▁additional ▁vac an cies ▁could ▁occur ▁during ▁Trump ' s ▁four - year ▁president ial ▁term . ▁Because ▁G ins burg ▁and ▁Bre yer