Trump Says He’ll Announce Supreme Court Pick on July 9

President Donald Trump has narrowed his list of prospective Supreme Court nominees to five finalists (although the list could change), and plans to announce his pick on July 9, reports Bloomberg. White House officials appear to be focusing on the following federal appeals court judges, all of whom are Republican appointees with conservative records: Amy Coney Barrett, Thomas Hardiman, Brett Kavanaugh, Raymond Kethledge, and Amul Thapar. Kavanaugh and Kethledge were both law clerks to retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy. The president told reporters on Air Force One Friday that he may interview one or two picks this weekend at his resort in Bedminster, NJ, and that he doesn’t plan to ask them about Roe v. Wade, the landmark abortion-rights decision, reports Politico. The FBI is currently conducting background checks. (More President Trump stories.)