Trump to nominate Amy Barrett as replacement for late Ruth Ginsburg on Supreme Court

President Donald Trump has told associates he’ll nominate Judge Amy Coney Barrett to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court, according to people familiar with the matter, a move that could cement conservative control of the judiciary just weeks before Election Day.

If confirmed by the Senate, Barrett, 48, would become the third justice appointed to the nine-member high court by Trump. An Indiana-based federal appeals court judge, Barrett is known to be a devout Catholic with fervent anti-abortion views.

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Trump plans to announce Barrett’s nomination at a White House ceremony on Saturday, though he could yet change his mind, the people cautioned. A bitter clash will follow in the Senate, where Republicans have vowed to use their majority to rapidly push through a confirmation vote before the Nov. 3 election.

The people familiar with Trump’s decision asked not to be identified because he hasn’t announced it himself. The president declined to confirm the news as he returned to Washington on Friday from campaign trips to Miami and Atlanta.

“You’re going to find out tomorrow if it’s Barrett,” he told reporters. “It could actually be anyone on the list.”

He said that while in Florida he didn’t meet with Barbara Lagoa, another appeals court judge he had considered for Ginsburg’s seat.

“I haven’t said it was her but she is outstanding,” Trump said of Barrett.

Florida Supreme Court Justice Barbara Lagoa is currently a Circuit Judge of the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. (File Photo: Reuters)

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