HOW long will the extended car crash that is President Trump hold the attention of the world? I’d guess a fair wee while, eroding the credibility and political judgment of his hand-holding ally Theresa May with every difficult day that passes.

News of his latest assault on liberal America came yesterday with news that conservative Judge Neil Gorsuch is Trump’s pick to join the Supreme Court.

Why does that matter? Well the court’s political loyalties are currently exactly divided between four liberal and four conservative justices. So, Gorsuch will tip the balance rightwards – maybe for a generation because several other justices are elderly, meaning Trump could soon appoint other conservative, job-for-life justices and thus shape the future of America long after he is (God willing) ejected from the White House in or before 2020.

That conservative Supreme Court could take a stand on some of the biggest cultural and political issues of the age like gun control and abortion. Gorsuch has already spoken against assisted suicide and contraception. On the campaign trail Trump repeatedly said he would nominate a “pro-life” justice prepared to overturn the country’s seminal case on abortion rights, Roe v Wade. This could be that man. There’s even speculation the new Supreme Court could retrospectively rule gay marriage illegal.

Gorsuch’s appointment though is not a complete slam-dunk. Republicans used their Senate majority to block President Obama’s liberal replacement for almost a year. They’ll almost certainly back Gorsuch but they need a majority of 60 votes and currently haven’t got that. Will there be a protracted stalemate or will Republicans prompt further controversy by axing that long-standing 60 votes rule?

Either way it’ll be messy, illiberal and opposed loudly by Americans and interest groups around the world who understand how much is at stake – including doubtless the newly-sacked acting attorney general who dared to tell Trump his refugee ban was illegal. Oh yes, and the media is not allowed to call it a ban anymore – according to Trump’s right hand man Sean Spicer it’s “extreme vetting” even though Trump called it a ban and Spicer concedes the fact. Go figure.

So well done Theresa. You’ve hitched your wagon and this country’s post-Brexit trading future to a right-wing, unbalanced demagogue. Whisper it, but your political judgement stands revealed as truly appalling. Ditto Scottish Tory MSP Murdo Fraser who prematurely tweeted about the success of Theresa’s American visit. Whoops is too short a word.

But it all gets worse.

It’s emerged that the man charged with murdering six people at a Quebec mosque in Canada is a supporter of far-right movements and US President Donald Trump. It seems Bernie Saunders’s prediction about Trump stoking up violence was coming true even as the socialist challenger to Hillary Clinton uttered the words.

Meanwhile, Myron Ebell, the controversial advisor to Donald Trump who describes himself as an enemy of environmentalism, was visiting No 10 Downing Street. The climate change denier led Trump’s Environment transition team until the inauguration and has now returned to his job at an anti-environmentalist think tank.

So, what was he doing at Theresa May’s office – briefing her people on the merits of ignoring climate change? Naebody kens.

But the previous day in a press briefing, Ebell said Trump would pull out of the Paris climate accord, because it was “pretty clear that the problem or the crisis has been overblown and overstated”.

Yip folks, the land of climate change make-believe looks like where we are headed as long as Scotland remains part of a UK that controls energy policy, foreign affairs and trade.

And of course, there’s the online petition calling for Trump’s state visit to be cancelled. It’s already triggered a Commons debate on February 20. Great timing because that’s also UN World Day of Social Justice, marked this year by a group called 1 Day Without Us, who want a National Day of Action to celebrate the contribution of migrants to the UK. Whisper it – I dinnae think the UK Government knew about that when they chose the day.

The Commons debate also precedes two key English by-elections on February 23. Copeland has been a safe Labour seat – but an estimated 60 per cent of voters backed the Leave campaign. Similarly, the by-election at Stoke-on-Trent Central is reportedly a two-horse race between Labour and Ukip. Could this be why Jeremy Corbyn has forced his own MPs not to block the Government’s Brexit plans?

Either way, the results will be important – they’ll show whether Leave voters have been fazed by the prospect of trade deals with Donald Trump or Brexit conducted by a woman with poor political judgement. Of course, it’s entirely possible these voters will show the same stubborn support for their original decision as those in America who still back The Donald. And even more likely that Jeremy Corbyn’s inability to land a blow on this shaken Prime Minister won’t help Labour’s chances.

At one point in yesterday’s Prime Minister’s Questions Theresa May declared: “The job of government is not to chase the headlines.”

But while the entire listening audience, north of the Border at least, was shrieking “Theresa purlease. Headline-chasing was the only reason you high-tailed it to the US in the first place.” Jeremy Corbyn let it pass.

The Tory leader went on to make the extraordinary statement that the SNP wanted to take Scots out of Europe by taking them out of the UK. Er what??? SNP members trying to respond were rebuked by the Speaker as if they were naughty bairns.

If PMQs was compulsory listening, indyref2 would be in the bag.

Mind you, it might be worth sticking around for Trump’s state visit, if as looks likely, the trip goes ahead, Theresa sticks to her guns and proves why her political antennae are not up to the weekly Waitrose shop let alone representing Britain in trade deals across the world.

The Queen is doubtless able to contain herself while entertaining The Donald, but there’s every chance her dependably explosive and politically incorrect husband will not. Will Phil the Greek warm to a man more bitterly opposed to foreigners (wives excepted) than himself? Will he feel a trifle outdone on the sensation stakes? Or will he land one on the President if he tries to take Queenie’s hand a la Theresa?

If, as rumoured, there are plans to hold the state visit in Balmoral so vegetable-throwing crowds in London can be avoided, I merely ask the Gods to make sure I am spared.

Deeside’s unfortunate proximity to Trump’s Menie golf course makes a series of spectacular protests all the more enticing.

As Mhairi Black put it on Channel 4 News; “In Scotland we like a wee protest – folk will be out in their droves.”

It would be funny if it wasn’t so very serious.

Theresa May’s reputation has already been shredded by Donald Trump. There’s only one way to make sure Scotland doesn’t go the same way. Indyref2 – bring it on.