Trump Holds Cards Close To Chest, Stokes The Dramatics Surrounding Supreme Court Nomination
President Donald Trump says that he will make a decision today before a televised event announcing the pick. The four judges on the short-list are Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, Thomas Hardiman and Raymond Kethledge. Kavanaugh was at one point rumored to be the front-runner, but it's unclear if that's still the case.
The New York Times:
Trump ‘Very Close’ To Supreme Court Decision, But May Wait Till Final Hours
President Trump sought to mine a last bit of drama from his decision on a Supreme Court nominee on Sunday, saying he might need to extend the process well into Monday, just hours before he is scheduled to announce the pick in a prime-time address. “I’m very close to making a decision,” Mr. Trump said on Sunday afternoon as he boarded Air Force One to return to Washington after a weekend spent golfing at his private club in Bedminster, N.J., and soliciting opinions from dozens of people about what he should do. (Haberman, Liptak and Schmidt, 7/8)
Politico:
Teenage Immigrant Abortion Case Could Be Hurdle For Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court Bid
One of the leading contenders for the Supreme Court, D.C. Circuit Judge Brett Kavanaugh, could see his chance at the nomination hinge on his handling of a legal battle last year over a 17-year-old immigrant's request for an abortion. To Kavanaugh's backers, his role in the legal showdown that played out over a couple of weeks last October exhibits the kind of judicial restraint conservatives have long called for from members of the bench. (Gerstein, 7/6)
The Wall Street Journal:
Trump Takes A Final Look At Supreme Court Choices
Judge Kavanaugh had been a front-runner as late as Saturday, but the fact that Mr. Trump hadn’t settled on him suggested his front-runner status may have slipped by Sunday, several people familiar with the search said. (Nicholas and Radnofsky, 7/8)
The New York Times:
In Making His Second Supreme Court Pick, Trump Has A Model: His First
All four of President Trump’s candidates for the Supreme Court are white, middle-aged federal appeals court judges with reliably conservative legal records. One of them, Brett M. Kavanaugh, went to the same high school as Mr. Trump’s last nominee, Neil M. Gorsuch — Georgetown Preparatory School, outside Washington. Another, Raymond M. Kethledge of the Sixth Circuit, so resembles Justice Gorsuch in background, philosophy, hobbies — both are outdoorsmen who like fishing — and even physical appearance, that some conservatives have taken to calling him “Gorsuch 2.0.” (Landler and Haberman, 7/6)
The Washington Post:
Religious Liberty Becomes A Main Focus For Conservatives In Supreme Court Nomination
Raymond Kethledge, one of President Trump’s finalists for the U.S. Supreme Court, has never explicitly stated his views on abortion or same-sex marriage. But he has spoken loudly on an issue that is just as important to conservative court-watchers. In April, Kethledge ruled in favor of Cathedral Buffet, a church-run Ohio restaurant being sued by the government because of claims that congregants were “spiritually coerced” by their pastor to work without pay. Kethledge went further than his fellow judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit in arguing that the restaurant’s Christian affiliation shielded it from federal labor laws. (Goldstein, 7/7)
The Wall Street Journal:
Who Are The Supreme Court Contenders?
As the clock ticks on President Donald Trump’s choice for a Supreme Court vacancy, each of the four people under close consideration could move the court in a more conservative direction for decades. “Republicans are holding four lottery tickets, and all of them are winners,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) said Sunday in a Fox News interview. Here’s a look at the top contenders. (Kendall and Bravin, 7/8)
The New York Times:
‘It’s A Terrible Vote’: Red-State Democrats Face An Agonizing Supreme Court Choice
Democratic senators running for re-election in Trump Country face an agonizing choice over President Trump’s coming Supreme Court nominee: Vote to confirm the pick and risk demoralizing Democratic voters ahead of the midterm elections, or stick with the party and possibly sacrifice their own seats — and any chance at a Democratic majority in 2019. The actions of a handful of Senate Democrats struggling to hold their seats in red states where Mr. Trump remains popular — notably Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Joe Donnelly of Indiana and Joe Manchin III of West Virginia — will have broad implications for the party at a critical political juncture. (Hulse, 7/7)
Politico:
‘The Super Bowl Of Politics’: Trump’s Team Readies For Supreme Court Battle
In a sparsely decorated “war room” next to the West Wing on the White House grounds, Trump administration officials have been preparing for the president’s Supreme Court pick with an anything-can-happen approach to the historic task. With the knowledge that President Donald Trump could change his mind at the last minute — and with the president’s obsession to keep his final decision tightly held — Trump aides and Republicans familiar with the planning told POLITICO they initially were prepping for two possible nominees. (Cadelago, 7/8)
East Bay Times:
Dianne Feinstein: Trump Court Nominee Could ‘Eviscerate Women’s Freedoms For Generations’
President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee could “eviscerate women’s freedoms for generations,” Sen. Dianne Feinstein warned Friday, vowing to fight against any potential justice who would vote to overturn Roe v. Wade. With Trump expected to announce his nominee on Monday, Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate committee that will evaluate the nominee, framed the battle over retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy’s seat as a pivotal struggle for abortion rights in America. “When it comes to protecting a women’s right to control her own body, the effect of one seat on the Court has never, ever been clearer,” Feinstein told two dozen abortion rights supporters at a Planned Parenthood event in downtown Oakland. “Based on the president’s own promises and track record, we know that women’s rights are in serious and grave danger.” (Tolan, 7/6)
The Associated Press:
What To Expect In The Supreme Court Confirmation Battle
The coming battle over a Supreme Court nominee promises to be a bruising one. Republicans are eager for conservatives to gain a firm majority on the court. Democrats are voicing alarm about what the new justice could mean for charged issues such as abortion rights and gay rights. The stakes are enormous, and advocacy groups that don't have to unveil their donors are spending heavily to shape the fight. (7/9)
The Hill:
Dem Senator Promises 'Tough Questions' On Reproductive Rights For Trump Supreme Court Pick
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said Sunday that he will ask President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee “really tough questions” on reproductive rights. Blumenthal told New York AM 970 radio host John Catsimatidis in an interview broadcast Sunday that he has “deep and serious concerns” about Trump’s top picks for the court. (Thomsen, 7/8)