Like many of you, I do not have much faith in President Donald Trump, but not for the reason that you may think. 

In fact, I truly believe that Trump is too liberal to call himself a Republican.

While he subscribes to some conservative principles, such as a pro-life and pro-second amendment mentality, I do not believe that Trump understands and respects the constitution in the way a true conservative does.

When it came time for Trump to nominate a Justice for the Supreme Court, I was understandably skeptical.  I assumed that he would appoint some lackey that would carry out his (or Steve Bannon’s) bidding and not ask questions. But on Feb. 1, the president nominated Neil Gorsuch, a brilliant jurist who will uphold constitutional principles on the Supreme Court.

First and foremost, Gorsuch is a great pick because he has a coherent judicial philosophy and an established history on the bench. Gorsuch has spent the past 10 years serving on the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, where he has gained a reputation of being a stout originalist. He looks at the text of law and applies it within the bounds of the writer’s meaning when drafting the law.

He notes that many liberals now push faux-legislation from the bench, relying on judges rather than legislatures to write the law. He believes that the role of the court is to interpret the law, not to establish new law to score political points.  Throughout his years of service, Gorsuch has been remarkably consistent in adhering to this philosophy.

Gorsuch is also very popular amongst members of both parties.  Republicans obviously love him. While the fear-mongering Nancy Pelosi has done her best to start a political war with Gorsuch, it’s hard to believe anything that slips out of her botox-ridden face anymore, considering Gorsuch was confirmed unanimously by a Democratic  Senate in 2006, receiving a “thumbs up” from then-Senators Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

Additionally, Gorsuch is an ardent advocate for the separation of powers.  Liberals should love this, because it means that he will help to limit Trump’s (or any subsequent president’s) abuse of executive power.  This is particularly notable in Gorsuch’s interpretation of what is known as the Chevron doctrine, wherein he believes that regulatory agencies should not be left to their own devices in interpreting Congressional mandates.

Additionally, Gorsuch is experienced.  He is no stranger to the Supreme Court, having clerked for both Byron White and Anthony Kennedy.  He then went into private practice, before serving as a Deputy Associate Attorney General. In short, Gorsuch has been working in the realm of federal law for his entire legal career.

That is why Gorsuch is a home run pick.  While they disagreed on some issues, his judicial philosophy is not dissimilar from that of the late Antonin Scalia.  He will be able to cross party lines, and will bring a balanced and fair approach to his decisions.  Trump may not be doing many good things, but it is hard to deny that his nomination of Gorsuch to the Supreme Court is nothing short of incredible.