Trump to expedite Ginsburg successor
WASHINGTON • President donald Trump said on monday he will announce his u.s. Supreme Court pick by the end of the week, moving quickly to fill the seat of liberal icon ruth bader Ginsburg and cement a 6-3 conservative majority ahead of his Nov. 3 re-election bid.
The republican president said he is looking “very seriously” at five candidates and would put forward his nominee on Friday or Saturday after funeral services for Ginsburg, who died of complications from pancreatic cancer on Friday at age 87.
Trump said the republican-controlled Senate should hold a vote ahead of the election.
“The final vote should be taken frankly before the election. We have plenty of time for that,” Trump said on Fox News.
Senate majority Leader mitch mcconnell, who has prioritized confirming Trump’s judicial appointments, has said he would usher through a vote. republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, but two republican senators — maine’s Susan Collins and Alaska’s Lisa murkowski — over the weekend said the chamber should not move forward with a Trump nominee before the election.
McConnell has time, as a new Congress will not be sworn in until Jan. 3. democrats are hoping to win control of the Senate in the election.
Ginsburg’s death has upended the campaign season, giving Trump and his party an opportunity to strengthen its grip on a court whose decisions influence many spheres of American life including abortion, health care, gun rights, voting access, presidential powers and the death penalty.
Trump has mentioned possible candidates in Amy Coney barrett of the Chicago-based 7th u.s. Circuit Court of Appeals and barbara Lagoa of the Atlanta-based 11th Circuit u.s. Circuit Court of Appeals. Trump named both of them to their current jobs. Trump on Fox also was asked about Judge Allison rushing, who Trump appointed to the richmond, Virginia-based 4th u.s. Circuit Court of Appeals last year.
The court vacancy has given Trump and republicans a chance to steer the discussion away from the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 204,000 Americans.