Gorsuch becomes 9th Supreme Court justice, replacing Scalia after a year

WASHINGTON (AP) - Judge Neil Gorsuch took part in two swearing-in ceremonies, Monday morning, as he takes his place on the Supreme Court.

Then, in a Rose Garden ceremony, President Donald Trump praised Gorsuch, saying he will rule "not on his personal preferences but based on a fair and objective reading of the law."

Trump said in Gorsuch, Americans see "a man who is deeply faithful to the Constitution of the United States." The president is predicting Gorsuch will go down as "one of the truly great justices" in the court's history.

Gorsuch was sworn in during the ceremony by Justice Anthony Kennedy, for whom he once served as a law clerk.

He thanked his own former law clerks, telling them "your names are etched in my heart forever."

Then, he thanked his family for their "perseverance and patience" -- and his mentor, Justice Anthony Kennedy -- and promised to be a "faithful servant of the Constitution and laws of this great nation."