One of President Trump's key campaign promises in 2016 was that he would nominate conservatives to the U.S. Supreme Court.
He's chosen two so far to the high court along with more than 200 federal judges.
Now he's released a list of Supreme Court candidates that includes a dozen new names.
USA Today reportedy the president is pressuring Joe Biden to release his own list.
"My nominee will come from the names I have shared with the American public" if a vacancy occurs, Trump said Wednesday. "Joe Biden has refused to release his list, perhaps because he knows the names are so extremely far-left.”
The names on the new list include federal appeals and district court judges, Republican Sens. Tom Cotton, Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley, and several members of the Trump administration.
Among the candidates is Judge Amy Coney Barrett, who is believed to be on his short list should Associate Justice Ruth Ginsburg, who is nearly 90, leave the high court this year.
Others include Judge Amul Thapar of the 6th Circuit appeals court, a favorite of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and two federal appeals court judges who were previous finalists: Thomas Hardiman and Raymond Kethledge. Hardiman is on the 3rd Circuit and Kethledge the 6th Circuit.
Trump's first two nominees were Neil Gorsuch, 53, who was confirmed in April of 2017 to succeed the late Associate Justice Antonin Scalia. Brett Kavanaugh, 55, was confirmed in October of 2018 to replace Anthony Kennedy.
Trump already has flipped three of the circuit courts from having a majority of judges appointed by Democrats to having a majority picked by GOP presidents.
Trump promises to appoint judges who interpret the law according to its original intent rather than make law from the bench.
Some Democrats want to make "structural" changes at the high court if their party has sufficient power. That would mean increasing the number of judges on the court and "stacking" it with left-leaning jurists.
Mike Davis of the Article III Project, which backs Trump’s nominees, said he thinks judicial nominations will unite Republican voters behind the president this year. He said Trump's appointees – about one fourth of all active federal judges – are the biggest success story of the first term.
The new names are: Bridget Bade of the 9th Circuit, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement, Cotton, Cruz, Stuart Kyle Duncan of the 5th Circuit, U.S. Assistant Attorney General Steven Engel, former U.S. Solicitor General Noel Francisco, Hawley, James Ho of the 5th Circuit, Greg Katsas of the D.C. Circuit, Barbara Lagoa of the 11th Circuit, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Chris Landau, Florida Supreme Court Justice Carlos Muñiz, Martha Pacold of U.S. District Court in Illinois, Peter Phipps of the 3rd Circuit, Sarah Pitlyk of U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. Allison Rushing of the 4th Circuit in March 2019, White House deputy counsel Kate Todd and Lawrence VanDyke of the 9th Circuit.
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