Donald Trump's controversial nominee Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in as a judge of the US Supreme Court, in a major victory for the US President ahead of key mid-term elections in November amid crackling tension, angry protests and high drama on Capitol Hill.

Kavanaugh was officially sworn in Saturday evening as the 114th Justice of the Supreme Court by Chief Justice John Roberts who administered the Constitutional Oath in the Justices' Conference Room, hours after the 53-year-old judge was confirmed by a bitterly divided Senate by 50-48 votes - the closest nomination vote since 1881.