Updated September 19, 2026.
Quick answer: McConnell's Senate leadership coincided with confirmation of Neil Gorsuch in 2017, Brett Kavanaugh in 2018 and Amy Coney Barrett in 2020.
The 2016 Garland vacancy
After Justice Antonin Scalia died, President Barack Obama nominated Merrick Garland. The Republican-controlled Senate did not hold a confirmation vote before the 2016 election.
Three Trump nominees
The Senate confirmed Gorsuch 54-45, Kavanaugh 50-48 and Barrett 52-48, according to the official Senate nominations database.
Why the record remains disputed
Supporters describe the confirmations as a central achievement of McConnell's strategy. Opponents argue that the Garland decision and 2020 confirmation changed Senate norms. These are competing political interpretations.
Source
U.S. Senate Supreme Court nominations
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Official Source
Official Senate biography and public record
Posts by Senator Mitch McConnell
