It’s being reported everywhere that Trump has finished his Supreme Court nomination interviews and has 6 candidates that he’ll pick from:
Appeals court judges Brett Kavanaugh, Raymond Kethledge, Amy Coney Barrett, Amul Thapar, Joan Larsen and Thomas Hardiman are the six Trump interviewed.
But according to Roberts, Kethledge, Kavanaugh, and Barrett are the top three.
Here’s more from John Roberts this morning:
.@FoxNews is told that @realDonaldTrump has completed the interview process for his @USSupremeCourt pick. Raymond Kethledge and Brett Kavanaugh are said to be the front-runners to replace Justice Kennedy. Announcement Monday night.
— John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) July 5, 2018
.@realDonaldTrump announcement of @USSupremeCourt nominee will be Monday night....likely at 9pm - an hour later than he announced Gorsuch
— John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) July 5, 2018
On @realDonaldTrump SCOTUS pick - sources indicate a jump ball between Brett Kavanaugh and Raymond Kethledge, with Barrett running 3rd. All subject to possible change before POTUS makes his decision
— John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) July 5, 2018
If @realDonaldTrump picks Kavanaugh, he will have to defend K's 2011 Obamacare ruling. WH arguments may run along the lines of K demonstrating judicial independence and adherence to established law - though some conservatives accused K of 'activism' with that opinion.
— John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) July 5, 2018
So what happened to Mike Lee and why isn’t he on the list? In the video above, Roberts explains that Trump’s call to Lee on Monday wasn’t so much an interview as it was Trump wanting to know which nominee he would choose for the court. Thus, the White House says Lee is not in consideration for the high court job.
UPDATE: From Politico…
Meanwhile, the woman said to be in second place, Amy Coney Barrett, could face a divisive confirmation hearing in front of the Senate if Democrats choose to grill the devout Catholic about her stance on abortion. For Trump, that’s the crux of what makes her a star with his base. But it’s her résumé that isn’t particularly appealing. Barrett is an alumnus of Rhodes College and Notre Dame Law School; she lacks the Harvard and Yale degrees Trump has said he is looking for in a nominee.
In her interview with Trump, Barrett, who has only one year of experience on the bench, performed poorly, according to a second source familiar with the process.
Hmmmmm…