Donald Trump Wants Supreme Court Judge ‘Very Much In Mold’ Of Justice Antonin Scalia

If elected as the U.S. president, Donald Trump said he would appoint a Supreme Court judge who is “very much in mold” of late Justice Antonin Scalia who had opposed abortion and lamented against the June 2015 gay marriage ruling. The Republican presidential nominee made the statement during the second presidential debate Sunday night.

Scalia passed away this February and President Barack Obama has nominated federal judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court. However, Garland has yet to receive a confirmation hearing by the senate.

“I am looking to appoint judges very much in the mold of Justice Scalia,” Trump said during the debate at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. “I’ve actually picked 20 of them so that people would see very beautifully reviewed by just about everybody.”

However, the 70-year-old’s rival Hillary Clinton maintained that she wanted a justice who would uphold pro-abortion laws and gay marriage equality.

“I want a Supreme Court that will stick with Roe v. Wade [1973 landmark decision legalizing abortion across U.S.] and the woman’s right to choose, and I want a Supreme Court that will stick with marriage equality,” Clinton said, adding that Trump was seeking to abolish abortion rights.Late Justice Antonin Scalia strongly opposed abortion and had lamented against the June 2015 gay marriage ruling.

Scalia was a staunch critic of Roe v. Wade and with his death, pro-life supporters have been looking for a Republic president and senate to fill in the Supreme Court vacancy with a nominee who has similar opinions about the issue as Scalia.

Former Republican President Ronald Reagan had appointed Scalia who took his seat on the bench Sept. 26, 1986. Scalia was also the first Italian-American justice.