Justice Anthony Kennedy announces plans to retire from Supreme Court

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy plans to retire, which will give President Donald Trump another chance to nominate a reliable conservative.

Kennedy, the frequent swing vote on 5-4 decisions, announced Wednesday he will step down as a justice.

Kennedy's retirement gives President Donald Trump a second chance to reshape the high court for decades to come, after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to consider any nominee by President Barack Obama.

The seat held by the late Justice Antonin Scalia was left open by Senate Republicans until after the election, when Trump nominated the conservative Neil Gorsuch.