Trump says he will name Supreme Court replacement for Ginsburg by Saturday

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said on Monday he will announce his US Supreme Court pick by the end of the week, moving quickly to fill the seat of liberal icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg and cement a 6-3 conservative majority ahead of his Nov. 3 re-election bid.

Trump said he would put forward his nominee on Friday or Saturday and called upon the Senate, controlled by his fellow Republicans, to vote on confirmation ahead of the election.

"We have plenty of time for that," Trump said on Fox News.

Trump has mentioned as possible candidates two federal appellate judges: Amy Coney Barrett of the Chicago-based 7th US Circuit Court of Appeals and Barbara Lagoa of the Atlanta-based 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals. He appointed both to their current posts. He said he is looking "very seriously" at five candidates.

Ginsburg died Friday of complications from pancreatic cancer at age 87.

Trump's announcement would come before Ginsburg is due to be buried privately at Arlington National Cemetery next week.

Officials have arranged for a public viewing of her body outside the US Supreme Court on Wednesday and Thursday and inside the US Capitol on Friday.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has prioritized confirming Trump's judicial appointments, said he would usher through a vote this year, though he did not say exactly when.

"The Senate has more than sufficient time to process a nomination. History and precedent make that perfectly clear," McConnell said during remarks on the Senate floor in which he also accused Democrats of acting in bad faith toward Trump's Supreme Court nominees.

Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, but two Republican senators - Maine's Susan Collins and Alaska's Lisa Murkowski - over the weekend said the chamber should not move forward with a Trump nominee before the election.

McConnell has time, as a new Congress will not be sworn in until Jan. 3. Democrats are hoping to win control of the Senate in the election.

Democrats have accused McConnell of hypocrisy for being eager to usher a Trump nominee to a confirmation vote. In 2016, he refused to even consider Democratic President Barack Obama's nominee to fill a vacancy on the court left by the death of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, saying it would be inappropriate to do so during an election year.

Trump already has named two conservative justices to the high court, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.

'GINSBURG'S DYING WISH'

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said any vote should take place next year, when either Trump will begin a second term or his Democratic election challenger, Joe Biden, will take office.

"That was Justice Ginsburg's dying wish. And it may be the Senate's only, last hope," Schumer said.

Ginsburg's death has upended the campaign season, giving Trump and his party an opportunity to strengthen its grip on a court whose decisions influence many spheres of American life including abortion, healthcare, gun rights, voting access, presidential powers and the death penalty.

Barrett and Lagoa are clear frontrunners, according to a source familiar with the selection process who spoke on condition of anonymity. Either could face complications in the bitterly divided Senate.

Barrett could face opposition from Collins and Murkowski over concerns that she would roll back abortion rights, the source said. The source said Lagoa, a Cuban-American jurist from the election battleground state of Florida, is not as well known, which could slow down the confirmation process.

"I don't know her. Florida. We love Florida," Trump said of Lagoa on Fox News.

White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, Vice President Mike Pence, Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner are leading the selection process, the source said. Outside of White House officials, Leonard Leo, the former executive vice president of the Federalist Society, a conservative legal group, is playing a central advisory role.

Trump on Fox also was asked about Judge Allison Rushing, who he appointed to the Richmond, Virginia-based 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals last year.

"I'm looking at five, probably four, but I'm looking at five very seriously. I'm going to make a decision on either Friday or Saturday," Trump said.

The Judicial Crisis Network, a conservative group, said it would air $2.2 million worth of television ads urging a confirmation vote, focusing on a handful of states with competitive Senate races.