President Trump spoke Tuesday with three possible nominees to the Supreme Court, White House spokesman Raj Shah said.
Trump is in the process of evaluating potential contenders to fill Justice Anthony Kennedy’s seat on the Supreme Court. Kennedy is retiring at the end of July, stepping down after 30 years on the high court.
Shah did not provide additional details regarding who Trump interviewed and for how long, though the president has vowed to choose his nominee from a list of 25 candidates, most of whom are former or current federal and state judges.
Trump told reporters he interviewed four potential Supreme Court nominees Monday. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said the meetings each lasted roughly 45 minutes.
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, also spoke to the president by phone Monday about the vacancy, the senator’s spokesman confirmed.
Court watchers believe the top contenders are federal appeals court judges Brett Kavanaugh, Thomas Hardiman, Amul Thapar, Amy Coney Barrett, and Raymond Kethledge.
[Also read: Oddsmakers favor Kavanaugh, Thapar, Sen. Mike Lee for Supreme Court]
The president said he will announce his nominee Monday, setting up a bruising confirmation fight. Senate Democrats and liberal advocacy are already mounting opposition campaigns against the leading candidates in Trump’s search for a Supreme Court pick, with a focus on the future of Roe v. Wade and the Affordable Care Act if there are five solid conservative justices on the court.
