Days before President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court pick leaked out, he had already made up his mind.
Even as White House aides and allies tried to draw out the process for days to divert attention away from other stories — Covid-19, joblessness, social unrest — and nod to key voting blocs by floating various names, the final decision was mostly made: Amy Coney Barrett.
On Saturday evening, Trump will formally introduce the 48-year-old federal judge — a devout Catholic and mom to seven kids who has served on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals since late 2017 — as his third Supreme Court nominee in just under four years. He will make the announcement during a brief ceremony in the Rose Garden at 5 p.m.
Barrett’s nomination has thrilled social conservatives and members of the Trump base, who admire her anti-abortion comments and strict views on the Constitution. Inside the White House, Barrett had the support of both chief of staff Mark Meadows and top attorney Pat Cipollone, two key aides involved in the selection process, along with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
She visited the White House twice this week and had positive meetings, cementing her frontrunner status — which was established nearly two years ago when she was a leading contender during the search that ended in Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination.
Source: Politico
