Emil Bove last year during President Donald Trump's criminal trial in Manhattan. Bove represented Trump in the case. Earlier this year, Trump nominated Bove to the U.S. Court of Appeals.Pool/Getty Imageshide caption

Emil Bove last year during President Donald Trump's criminal trial in Manhattan. Bove represented Trump in the case. Earlier this year, Trump nominated Bove to the U.S. Court of Appeals.

President Trump helped reshape the federal courts during his first term in office. And he relied heavily on the Federalist Society in that effort, which helped him zero in on judges with a conservative, originalist interpretation of the constitution.

Now the nominations machinery is restarting, and Trump's most controversial judicial nominee is only one step away from the federal bench.

During his first term, Trump appointed scores of originalists to the federal bench– a victory for the conservative legal movement.

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This episode was produced by Connor Donevan. It was edited by Anna Yukhananov and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.