Trump to nominate female judge to replace Ginsburg
Democrats do not want Trump to name a new Supreme Court judge before elections
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump has said he intends to name a woman as his nominee to replace late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and will make an announcement next week.
“It will be a woman — a very talented, very brilliant woman,” Trump said at an election rally in North Carolina on Saturday. “We haven’t chosen yet, but we have numerous women on the list.”
The president first spoke of picking a woman for the seat left vacant by the passing of Ginsburg while talking to reporters before departing for the rally.
Asked if he would pick a woman, he said he could. “I could see, most likely, it would be a woman, yeah. I think I can say that it would be a woman. I would - if somebody were to ask me now, I would say that a woman would be in first place, yes.” He also said in a response to another question he expects to announce his pick next week .
Female judges reportedly in his shortlist include Amy Coney Barrett, a judge on the Seventh Court of Appeals (similar to Indian high courts). He had interviewed her in 2018 when considering a nominee to replace Stephen Kennedy. He went with Brett Kavanaugh instead.
Whoever Trump picks eventually will face a bruising confirmation process in the Senate, with fierce opposition expected from Democrats.
They want the seat to be filled by the next president, whoever wins the November 3 elections, as Republicans had argued in 2016 to block President Barack Obama’s pick for a vacancy in the court.
With Trump announcing he will pick a woman, chances have diminished for Amul Thapar, an Indian-American judge who was earlier reported to be among front-runners for the post.