On Monday, President Trump is expected to announce the Supreme Court replacement for retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy.
President Trump completed his interviews with potential nominees, which have been narrowed down to a few from his list of 25 candidates that he released on the campaign trail.
Raymond Kethledge, Brett Kavanagh and Amy Coney Barrett are reportedly the top three picks President Trump is considering. All three are federal appeals court judges.
Aboard Air Force One, President Trump told reporters: “I think I have it down to four people. And I think of the four people, I have it down to three or two,” the Associated Press reported last week.
Vice President Mike Pence also met with the frontrunners.
On @realDonaldTrump SCOTUS pick – sources indicate a jump ball between Brett Kavanaugh and Raymond Kethledge, with Barrett running 3rd. All subject to possible change before POTUS makes his decision
— John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) July 5, 2018
Here is some background about the three candidates:
Raymond Kethledge
Raymond Kethledge, 51, serves on the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was nominated by George W. Bush in 2006, but wasn’t confirmed until 2008.
He made news for his 2013 ruling in which he decided against unions to uphold a Michigan law barring school districts from collecting union dues, instead forcing unions to bear responsibility for collecting dues.
In 2014, he decided against the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) by permitting for-profit education organizations to screen potential employees with credit checks.
In 2016, he ruled that a warrant was not required for police to review cellphone location records. The decision was overruled by the Supreme Court earlier this year.
Kethledge is possibly the most moderate choice of the three. Some of his decisions have favored illegal immigrants facing deportation. Conservatives are concerned that Kethledge would take a left position on key issues, much like his mentor, Justice Kennedy.
Meet Judge Raymond #Kethledge, who is on President Trump’s shortlist of #SCOTUS possibilities. As you’ll see in this @EWTN report, his supporters say he shares the judicial outlook of Justice Scalia, is friends with Justice Gorsuch, and even wrote about Pope John Paul II. pic.twitter.com/Qg1NtZb6iy
— Jason Calvi (@JasonCalvi) July 5, 2018
Brett Kavanaugh
Brett Kavanaugh, 53, serves on the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals. Like Kethledge, Kavanaugh also clerked under Justice Kennedy and was nominated by George W. Bush in 2006.
He was a member of the legal team that penned a report used to guide former President Bill Clinton’s impeachment. Later, he wrote that presidents should be afforded temporary protections from civil and criminal litigation as a means of halting lawsuits that distract from important Presidential issues.
His notable rulings include determining that illegal aligns are unlawful employees, corporations are not permitted to import foreign workers, and foreign competitors must provide product labels identifying country of origin.
Kavanaugh has been criticized for his connections to Washington and the Republican establishment. He has been supported for his likelihood to carry forth President Trump’s “America First” vision.
Earlier, a former law clerk to Judge Brett Kavanaugh joined @MelissaAFrancis to tell us more about who he is and what kind of Justice he would be
WATCH the interview here | https://t.co/3RWxlPLu34— Outnumbered Overtime (@OutnumberedOT) July 5, 2018
Amy Coney Barrett
Amy Coney Barrett, 46, serves on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals since her nomination by President Trump last year. She clerked under Justice Antonin Scalia, along with a professor who also became a federal judge last year.
She has spoken against abortion, as well as the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act. However, she told Senators during her confirmation hearing that a judge is never permitted to side with personal convictions over law.
Barrett has been criticized for her short time on the bench and her religious views. At her confirmation hearing, she was interrogated over her Roman Catholic faith and how it may interfere with her work. She maintained that her faith does not override her judicial duties.
A look at potential SCOTUS nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett pic.twitter.com/YmgWU2r5OJ
— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 3, 2018
President Trump has reportedly consulted lawmakers and outside advisors in addition to his own White House team in his week-long deliberation.
The much-anticipated decision Monday could significantly alter the future of Supreme Court decisions.
