When Donald Trump was elected to be president, the only thing I could think was: is this really what we expect from our countries leaders…he’s a reality TV star, what could he know about running a country?

Once again, I am questioning the standards and qualifications we hold our leaders to. Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed to the United States Supreme Court amid multiple sexual misconduct allegations.

The way by which these cases were treated in court should be extremely alarming for various reasons. First, while the process was slowed by the allegations, Kavanaugh was still confirmed. This says a lot about the low standards our government officials are held to.

Second, this could have a significant negative impact on the way we treat and view women today. The level of respect Kavanaugh’s accusers were treated with is pathetic. Their statements and responses were constantly invalidated and whitewashed as Kavanaugh was celebrated and pitied.

In addition, he holds this position within the Supreme Court for the rest of his life; his only way out is impeachment or death.

Finally, the president of the United States publicly mocked Kavanaugh’s accusers. This, to me, is the most terrifying part of it all because not only did our country’s leader make fun of a sexual assault victim, he received an overwhelming amount of support and validation from his advocates.

Senior Ally Latham commented on Kavanaugh’s confirmation saying, “I think it really showed that the authority of office-holders is much stronger than the voice of the citizens. The people within the government have much more control over what happens to it than the voters do.”

Kavanaugh’s confirmation means that Donald Trump has put two justices on the Supreme Court that were more popularly supported by conservatives. This puts Trump in the good graces of conservatives in relation to his 2020 re-election bid.

The most significant impact that Kavanaugh’s approval will have is the fundamental shift of the court in a more conservative direction. This means that any future decisions left up to the court will likely favor the republican agenda.