Why it matters: Both sides made it clear last night that they plan to keep Kavanaugh in the news for political purposes, deepening and prolonging the most divisive new issue of the Trump era.

As the decisive vote tipping the justices to the conservative side, he effectively makes this the Kavanaugh Court.

“Abortion, affirmative action, campaign finance, gay rights — all those are going to go in a very different direction because Anthony Kennedy is gone and Brett Kavanaugh will be there,” legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin said on CNN.