Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump's second Supreme Court nominee, was sworn in on Saturday evening, shortly after the Senate passed his contentious confirmation by a vote of 50-48 amid fierce partisan fights focusing on sexual misconduct allegations against him.

Court moves rightward

Hailed as a big political victory for Trump and the Republican Party, Kavanaugh's lifetime appointment as the 114th Supreme Court justice appeared to secure a solid majority of conservatives on the U.S. highest court for years.

Nominating Kavanaugh was the second time in two years that Trump has made a Supreme Court pick. The 53-year-old succeeded 82-year-old Justice Anthony Kennedy, who retired on July 31 after having served as a pivotal swing vote between conservatives and liberals on the nine-member bench for years.

As a result, the court now consists of five conservatives and four liberals. There will be no swing vote if none of the conservative justices move to the middle.

The court "will perfectly reflect the deep polarization of the American public and political system," Adam Liptak with the New York Times commented.

The rightward trend of the U.S. highest court is expected to have long-term substantial effects on many issues deeply dividing Americans, such as abortion, affirmative action, voting and gun rights.

The Supreme Court decides matters that shape the U.S. politics. It is both the highest appeals panel and a constitutional court in the country.

Partisan fight

Kavanaugh was confirmed by a margin of 50 votes to 48 in the Senate final floor vote, the slimmest for a Supreme Court nominee in more than a century.

Senator Joe Manchin, who was facing tough re-election campaign in red state West Virginia, was the only Democrat to vote for Kavanaugh's confirmation.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Saturday that the bitter partisan battle over Kavanaugh's confirmation has revved up Republican voters across red states.

"Our base is on fire," the top Senate Republican said in an interview with The Hill news daily.

However, Democrats also say their voters are now more fired up than ever to deliver a rebuke to the Republicans in the midterm elections, citing women's anger as a force.

During the Senate final voting on Saturday, hundreds of protesters were demonstrating on Capitol Hill, chanting "November is coming" and "We believe survivors." Capitol Police said later in the day that 164 of them were arrested.

Amid partisan fights over the confirmation, three women came forward last month to accuse Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting or harassing them during his high school and university years. Kavanaugh has denied all the accusations.

The results on the upcoming midterm elections seem to be complicated. However, it appears the two mainstream parties in the country would continue fighting each other in a likely more polarized way, analysts say.

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