Trump to make Supreme Court pick next Thursday

President Trump on Wednesday said he will announce his choice for a Supreme Court nominee next week.

“I will be making my Supreme Court pick on Thursday of next week,” Trump tweeted. “Thank you!”

I will be making my Supreme Court pick on Thursday of next week.Thank you!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 25, 2017

Trump’s shortlist to fill the late Justice Antonin Scalia’s seat is said to include Judge William Pryor of Alabama, Judge Neil Gorsuch of Colorado and Judge Thomas Hardiman of Pennsylvania. 

{mosads}Republicans will need at least eight Democrats to support Trump’s nominee to overcome the 60-vote filibuster hurdle.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said Tuesday that Republicans should fight to get Trump’s coming Supreme Court nominee confirmed by any means necessary. He suggested the GOP shouldn’t rule out the so-called nuclear option to reduce the threshold for confirmation.

In 2013, Democrats, who at the time held the majority in the Senate, triggered the nuclear option to confirm several of President Obama’s nominees. The move did not apply to the Supreme Court.

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said recently he regrets Democrats’ 2013 decision, which is now easing the confirmation of President Trump’s Cabinet nominees.

On Tuesday afternoon, the president met with Senate leaders ahead of his Supreme Court announcement.

Schumer and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) stressed after the meeting they want the president to pick a “mainstream” nominee to fill the high court’s ninth seat.