Brett Kavanaugh attended a ceremonial swearing-in as the newest United States Supreme Court associate justice in the presence of President Donald Trump. He was officially sworn in over the weekend in a private ceremony and is expected to make his first appearance on the bench on Tuesday. Kavanaugh is replacing Anthony Kennedy, who retired at the end of July.
Speaking at the White House, Trump called the occasion "truly momentous" and apologized to Kavanaugh and his family on the behalf of the American nation for the "terrible pain and suffering he has been forced to endure" leading up to his confirmation. Kavanaugh was accused of sexual assault, but a short FBI investigation did not corroborate the claims. "What happened to the Kavanaugh family violates every principle of fairness, decency and due process, " the president said. "Those who step forward to serve our country deserve a fair and dignified evaluation, not a campaign of political and personal destruction based on lies and deception," Trump added.
