President Donald Trump made it official on Saturday: He wants Amy Coney Barrett to fill Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s vacant Supreme Court seat. And he relishes the upcoming confirmation battle that could solidify the court’s conservative leaning for decades to come. Standing in the White House Rose Garden on an overcast but warm fall day, Trump formally announced the 48-year-old federal judge — a devout Catholic and mom to seven kids who has served on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals since late 2017 — as his third Supreme Court nominee in just under four years. Trump vowed Barrett would help ensure “the survival of our Second Amendment, our religious liberty, our public safety and so much more,” nodding to his law-and-order rhetoric of recent months.“We must preserve our precious heritage as a nation of laws,” Trump added, “and there is no one better to do that than Amy Coney Barrett.” Barrett’s nomination has thrilled social conservatives and members of the Trump base, who admire her anti-abortion comments and strict views on the Constitution. Those same views have alarmed Democrats and progressives, who fear she will imperil abortion rights, voting rights and healthcare rights. In her brief remarks, Barrett seemed to allude to those fears, even though there’s little chance any Democrat — or progressive groups — will be won over to Barrett’s nomination. “I will be mindful of who came before me,” she said, referencing Ginsburg’s recent passing. “Judges are not policymakers.” Inside the White House, Barrett had the support of both chief of staff Mark Meadows and top attorney Pat Cipollone, two key aides involved in the selection process. On Capitol Hill, she had the backing of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. She visited the White House twice this week and had positive meetings, cementing her frontrunner status — which was established nearly two years ago when she was a leading contender during the search that ended in Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination. Even though White House aides spent the week drawing out the selection process, floating other names as a nod key voting blocs, the president made up his mind early. He didn’t even meet with the other leading candidate, Barbara Lagoa, a judge on the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, while traveling in her home state of Florida this week. If confirmed by the Senate, Barrett will replace Ginsburg, the longtime liberal justice who died just over a week ago. Her appointment would firmly tilt the court toward the right for the first time in decades, potentially altering the outcome of key upcoming court cases on issues like Obamacare, reproductive rights and even the presidential election. “It solidifies the conservative 6-3 majority,” said Carl Tobias, a law professor and expert on federal judicial selection at the University of Richmond Law School. “Chief Justice [John] Roberts will not be as central as he was last term. I do not see much hope for progressives in the short term. Once Ginsburg’s seat opened up, Trump quickly settled on Barrett. After his first meeting with her, she started filling out the appropriate paperwork, the people added. On Saturday, Trump touted the fact that, if confirmed, Barrett would be the first female justice with school-aged children. Coming just five weeks before Election Day, Barrett’s nomination will ignite the enthusiasm of voters on both the left and right. In less than 48 hours after Ginsburg’s death, the liberal group ActBlue raised roughly $100 million dollars for Democratic candidates, while conservative groups — concerned with deregulation, social issues and abortion rights — prepared tens of millions of dollars in ad buys and grassroots efforts for a contentious confirmation battle. Trump’s 2020 rival, Joe Biden, admonished Trump’s choice shortly after the announcement. In a statement, Biden argued Barrett would erode healthcare protections legalized under Obamacare, such as guaranteeing access to insurance for people with preexisting medical conditions. Nick Note: The fix is in. Trump has a supreme court majority that will give him the rulings he needs. Great for Trump not so good for America