With the confirmation of a nominee to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, President Trump has for the first time in his presidency flipped an appeals court to have a majority of Republican-appointed judges.

The approval of Paul Matey, who was deputy chief counsel to GOP New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie during the "Bridgegate" controversy, to the federal appeals court in Philadelphia marked a milestone in the efforts by the president and the Republican-controlled Senate to reshape the federal judiciary.