Judge Amy Coney Barrett, who has emerged as a favorite to be nominated for the vacant Supreme Court seat, met Monday at the White House with President Trump, according to a person familiar with the selection process.
Barrett’s meeting with Trump further cements her status as one of the front-runners to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died Friday of pancreatic cancer. The meeting took place Monday afternoon before Trump left for a campaign trip to Ohio.
The president told reporters he was considering five women for Ginsburg’s seat. But sources familiar with the process say Barrett and Barbara Lagoa are the two judges being seriously considered.
“She’s one of the people that’s very respected, but they’re all respected,” Trump said of Barrett. “She is certainly one of the candidates, yes.”
Trump is expected to name his choice for the vacancy on Friday or Saturday, saying he plans to wait until Ginsburg’s memorial services conclude.
Barrett was a favorite among conservatives in 2018 when Trump was mulling who to nominate to fill then-Justice Anthony Kennedy’s seat before he ultimately went with Brett Kavanaugh. She remains popular among many Republican senators and conservative groups, and sources said she has an advantage having gone through the vetting process once before.
Trump said he plans to meet with at least a few of the candidates in person. The president said he “may” meet with Lagoa later this week when he is in South Florida.
“She has a lot of support,” Trump said of Lagoa. “I don’t know her, but I hear she’s outstanding. And she’s one of the people we’re looking at.”
Barrett, a former clerk for late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, was nominated by Trump to serve on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2017. She was confirmed in a 55-43 vote by the Senate later that year. At the time, three Democratic senators supported her nomination: Joe Donnelly (Ind.), who subsequently lost his 2018 reelection bid, Tim Kaine (Va.) and Joe Manchin (W.Va.).
Axios reported in 2019 that Trump told aides he was “saving” Barrett as a potential replacement for Ginsburg.
The 48-year-old judge was included on Trump’s updated list of potential Supreme Court nominees released in 2017. He expanded that list earlier this month.