President Donald Trump announced Monday that he is nominating U.S. District Judge Amul R. Thapar of Kentucky to serve on the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Thapar serves in the Eastern District of Kentucky and was appointed by George W. Bush. He previously served as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky issued a statement in support of the nomination of Thapar, whom he called "my friend." He said Thapar is respected by his colleagues and is dedicated to the law.
Thapar, the son of Indian immigrants, is a graduate of Boston College and University of California, Berkeley, law school. He is the nation's first South Asian American to serve as a U.S. District judge.