Trump taps Kentucky lawyer for judgeship after scrapped Biden nomination

By Jasper Ward

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced his intent to nominate Chad Meredith to serve as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.

He described Meredith, who previously served as Kentucky's solicitor general and has worked as a litigation attorney in Ohio since 2021, as "highly experienced and well qualified."

"Chad is a courageous Patriot who knows what is required to uphold the Rule of Law, and protect our Constitution," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

Meredith has held various roles in the legal field in Kentucky, including chief deputy general counsel for the state's governor. He also clerked for a judge serving on the same circuit he's being nominated to, according to his LinkedIn page.

U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell, who represents Kentucky, praised Trump's decision to nominate Meredith to the bench. He called him "an outstanding choice" with a stellar resume and distinguished record of public service.

During his first administration, Trump vetted Meredith for a judicial nomination but later dropped him from consideration, according to The Courier-Journal.

Joe Biden, who succeeded Trump as president, also considered nominating Meredith, who has defended abortion restrictions, but he decided against doing so after progressives and abortion-rights supporters came out strongly against the nominee.

Trump has so far announced 12 judicial nominees in his second term, after securing Senate confirmation in his first term of 234 judicial nominees.

(Reporting by Jasper Ward; Additional reporting by Nate Raymond; Editing by Don Durfee and Edwina Gibbs)