Got ‘right’ stuff
‘Excellent,’ & ‘awesome’ short list for SCOTUS seat
President Trump said he will chose from a list of 25 names to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy, who on Wednesday announced his retirement from the Supreme Court after 31 years on the bench.
First Son Donald Trump Jr. offered up a pick who's not on the list — saying Fox News' personality Jeanine Pirro, a rabid supporter of his father, would be “pretty awesome.”
The Kennedy retirement gives Trump the opportunity to install a second justice and create a conservative majority in the Supreme Court.
“We have a very excellent list of great, talented, highly educated, highly intelligent, hopefully tremendous people,” Trump said at the White House Wednesday.
The administration is expected to put forth a nomination within a couple weeks.
Here a few of the most likely contenders:
Thomas Hardiman
Pennsylvania Federal Judge Thomas Hardiman, who serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, was the runner-up for Neil Gorsuch's seat, and is backed by Trump's sister, Maryanne Trump Barry, also a 3rd Circuit judge.
“Maryanne is high on Hardiman,” a source told Politico last year.
Trump is known to take cues from family members when making key decisions.
Hardiman, 52, is also said to have a story that appeals to Trump personally.
He was the first in his family to graduate from college, at Notre Dame, and reportedly worked as a taxi cab driver to pay his own tuition. He holds a law degree from Georgetown.
Brett Kavanaugh
Former Kennedy clerk Brett Kavanaugh is also believed to be a front-runner for Kennedy's soon-to-be vacant seat.
He served in the George W. Bush administration and as a lawyer for Kenneth W. Starr during the investigation into President Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky.
Most recently, he was in dissent when his court allowed an undocumented immigrant in federal custody to get an abortion. He argued that the ruling set a precedent for “immediate abortion on demand” by “unlawful immigrant minors.”
Jeanine Pirro
Though not on the list, Fox News host Judge Jeanine Pirro was put forth as a contender by the President's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr.
“This would be pretty awesome,” Trump Jr. tweeted, making reference to another tweet reading, “Introducing Supreme Court Justice Jeanine Pirro.”
President Trump is a regular viewer and has even appeared for interviews on Pirro's show, “Judge Jeanine,” since taking office. She's reportedly lobbied to replace Jeff Sessions as Attorney General.
Amy Coney Barrett
Amy Coney Barrett of Indiana serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit and was once a law clerk for deceased Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
She was a Notre Dame University law professor before President Trump nominated her for judgeship last year.
The conservative judge in 2003 authored a paper in which she called the Supreme Court's decision legalizing abortion, Roe vs. Wade, “erroneous.”
Diane Sykes
Diane Sykes of Wisconsin serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit.
She defended a Christian legal group whose membership policies banned gay conduct, arguing that it didn't violate university policy and had a constitutional right to receive government subsidies.