And it’s out. It’s Kavanaugh…
BREAKING: Friends of BRETT KAVANAUGH are here at White House for this Supreme Court announcement, among a larger audience of people who supported other candidates.
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) July 10, 2018
BREAKING: President Trump is nominating federal appeals court Judge Brett Kavanaugh as next US Supreme Court justice – @PeteWilliamsNBChttps://t.co/kdrUxk2XiK
— NBC News (@NBCNews) July 10, 2018
In one conversation, he left a clear impression that he was choosing between judges Kavanaugh and Hardiman and leaning toward Judge Kavanaugh, a person close to the White House said.
Mr. Trump was especially impressed by Judge Kavanaugh’s Yale pedigree, tenure on the court, and body of writings, this person said. He believed Judge Kavanaugh was the brightest and most impressive of the finalists, this person said.
Adding to the afternoon tea-leaf reading, Judge Kavanaugh’s court, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, issued a 2-to-1 opinion late Monday in an attorney’s fees case in which the judge’s vote was crucial to the outcome. The appeals court doesn’t normally issue decisions on Mondays, leading to speculation that it needed to release the ruling before a potential Kavanaugh nomination.
Meanwhile, people close to the search said that Judge Barrett’s chances seemed to be slipping, with White House officials shifting their focus away from her as the deadline for a decision neared.
There you go. Check out the rumors that led to this decision being made…