President Donald Trump said Friday afternoon he will announce Justice Anthony Kennedy’s replacement on the U.S. Supreme Court on July 9.
“I’ve got it narrowed to about five,” President Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. The President revealed he is scheduled to meet with at least one candidate over the weekend in New Jersey.
The shortlist of staunchly conservative judges includes two women.
Kennedy announced on Wednesday that he will retire from the Court effective July 31.
“This letter is a respectful and formal notification of my decision, effective July 31 of this year, to end my regular active status as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, while continuing to serve in a senior status, as provided in 28 U.S.C 371 (b),” Kennedy wrote in a letter addressed to President Trump.
“For a member of the legal profession it is the highest of honors to serve on this Court. Please permit me by this letter to express my profound gratitude for having had the privilege to seek in each case how best to know, interpret, and defend the Constitution and the laws that must always conform to its mandates and promises,” he added.
Shortly after the announcement, President Trump praised the outgoing Justice for his distinguished service and vowed to appoint a “talented,” replacement.
“We have a very excellent list of great, talented, highly educated, highly intelligent, hopefully, tremendous people,” President Trump told reporters in the Oval Office with the president of Portugal by his side. “I think the list is very outstanding.”
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