Three Federal Judges Top Trump’s Short List For Supreme Court Nominee With Decision Expected This Week
According to sources, the frontrunners for Justice Anthony Kennedy's spot are: Anthony Brett Kavanaugh of Maryland, of the D.C. Circuit; Raymond Kethledge of Michigan, of the Sixth Circuit; and Amy Coney Barrett of Indiana, of the Seventh Circuit. President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence are reported to have spoken with some of the contenders.
The Wall Street Journal:
Trump Winnows Down Supreme Court Picks, Focusing On Three
President Donald Trump’s search for a Supreme Court justice to succeed Anthony Kennedy is focusing on a trio of federal judges, with a decision expected this week in anticipation of an announcement on Monday, people familiar with the search said. Following a brisk round of interviews Monday and Tuesday, the three front-runners at this late stage in the president’s search are all U.S. appeals court judges: Brett Kavanaugh of Maryland, of the D.C. Circuit; Raymond Kethledge of Michigan, of the Sixth Circuit; and Amy Coney Barrett of Indiana, of the Seventh Circuit. (Nicholas and Radnofsky, 7/4)
Politico:
Trump Touts Upcoming Supreme Court Pick
President Donald Trump on Tuesday promised that his supporters would love his nominee for the Supreme Court and knocked liberals for calling to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “I think you’re going to be very impressed,” Trump said during a dinner for U.S. troops at The Greenbrier resort here. (Restuccia, 7/3)
The Associated Press:
AP Source: Pence Has Met With Supreme Court Contenders
Vice President Mike Pence has met with some of the contenders for the Supreme Court vacancy created by Justice Anthony Kennedy's retirement, The Associated Press has learned. The meetings took place in recent days, according to a person familiar with the search process. The person did not specify which candidates Pence met with and spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday to describe the private search process. (7/5)
Politico:
New Supreme Court Justice Could Weigh In On Abortion Quickly
President Donald Trump’s pick for the Supreme Court won’t have to wait long to make a potentially historic decision on abortion rights. A slew of abortion-related cases are working their way through lower courts, dealing with questions about when abortions should be allowed, or which procedures doctors can perform to terminate a pregnancy. Any of these could become opportunities for the justices to address fundamental questions about the legal right to abortion in the United States, putting Roe v. Wade in the Supreme Court’s sights. (Haberkorn, 7/3)
The Associated Press:
Court Vacancy Makes Abortion Politics A Midterm Priority
Democrats and Republicans once largely agreed that the upcoming midterm elections would hinge on the economy, health care and President Donald Trump's popularity. Not anymore. A Supreme Court vacancy has pushed abortion to the forefront of election year politics, with both supporters and opponents suggesting that the emotional issue could drive more voters to the polls. That's especially true in states like Iowa, where Republicans have enacted restrictive measures on abortion in the past two years. (7/5)
Politico:
Trump’s Supreme Court Search Unleashes Fierce Politicking
President Donald Trump’s commitment to select from a widely publicized list of Supreme Court candidates may have helped win him the White House — but it has also injected unprecedented politicking into the selection process for the next justice. Much of the jockeying has centered on D.C. Circuit Court Judge Brett Kavanaugh, who is the preferred choice of White House counsel Don McGahn, according to two Republicans close to the White House. McGahn’s backing helped Kavanaugh secure a spot on Trump’s existing Supreme Court list last November, when the president added five names. (Johnson, 7/4)
The Washington Post:
Liberal Democrats Mount Campaign Against Trump’s Supreme Court Nominee By Targeting Two Republican Senators
Liberal political strategists hope to block President Trump’s next Supreme Court nominee by replaying a strategy they used to help defeat the Republican effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act last year. The multimillion-dollar plan of advertising and grass-roots activism will focus heavily on convincing two Republican defenders of the ACA, Sens. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Susan Collins (Maine), to buck the president again by denying his first choice to replace retiring Justice Anthony M. Kennedy. Trump plans to reveal his selection Monday. (Scherer, 7/4)