I will sum up the Justice Kennedy situation.
Mitch McConnell is a turd.
He violated the Constitution when he refused the "advised" portion where the senate must advise and consent a president's nomination for Supreme Court when he refused to have a confirmation hearing and vote on Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland when Scalia passed away in February 2016.
His reasoning was that he would not do that in an election year.
Well, we now are another election year where the Senate can possibly change leadership.
It is almost July (much closer to election day than February) and Justice Kennedy will be stepping down.
McConnell has promised a confirmation vote this fall, before the Senate could possibly change hands.
All that said, they do have the right to replace him this year. But precedent has been set where it can be pushed.
Justice Kennedy is aware of the politics. He chose to step down now. He chose to have this president and this senate pick his successor.
So we have to accept whoever gets confirmed.
But if the Democrats pick up two seats this fall in the Senate (a big if), they can use McConnell's Garland precedent to not confirm any Trump SC nominees in 2019 or 2020.
I think from now on, we will only get new SC Justices when the president and the Senate majority are of the same party.