Trump still pondering Supreme Court pick

BERKELEY HEIGHTS, N.J. — U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday was still deliberating his decision on a replacement for Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy as his self-imposed deadline for an announcement neared amid furious lobbying and frenzied speculation.

Trump, who spent the weekend at his New Jersey golf club, has not yet communicated a final choice, said a person familiar with his thinking who was not authorized to speak publicly. Trump spent the weekend discussing his options with allies and will announce his pick on Monday at 9 p.m.

Savouring the suspense, Trump has sought to keep people guessing in the final hours, hoping to replicate his successful announcement of Justice Neil Gorsuch last year.

Top contenders for the role have included federal appeals judges Brett Kavanaugh, Raymond Kethledge, Amy Coney Barrett and Thomas Hardiman. The White House has been preparing information materials on all four, who were part of a list of 25 names vetted by conservatives.

Some conservatives have expressed concerns about Kavanaugh, a former clerk for Kennedy, questioning his commitment to social issues like abortion and noting his time serving under president George W. Bush as evidence he is a more establishment choice.

Barrett has excited social conservatives since she was questioned about her Roman Catholic faith in her nomination hearings last year, but her brief time on the bench has raised questions.