President Donald Trump announced Thursday on Twitter that he will release a new list of potential nominees to the Supreme Court.
“I will be releasing a new list of Conservative Supreme Court Justice nominees, which may include some, or many of those already on the list, by September 1, 2020. If given the opportunity, I will only choose from this list, as in the past, a Conservative Supreme Court Justice…” Trump tweeted.
I will be releasing a new list of Conservative Supreme Court Justice nominees, which may include some, or many of those already on the list, by September 1, 2020. If given the opportunity, I will only choose from this list, as in the past, a Conservative Supreme Court Justice…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 18, 2020
…Based on decisions being rendered now, this list is more important than ever before (Second Amendment, Right to Life, Religous Liberty, etc.) – VOTE 2020!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 18, 2020
Trump’s announcement comes after a pair of SCOTUS decisions that were seen as blows to conservative social and fiscal policies. The court found that LGBT Americans enjoy workplace protections under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and that Trump had overstepped his authority in attempting to end the DACA immigration program by executive order.
The White House has not announced any names for the list, but it will likely be similar to the one Trump released and updated throughout his campaign and into his early presidency. (RELATED: This Pro-Life, Female Democrat’s Law Is At The Heart Of Upcoming Supreme Court Abortion Case)
Expected names are U.S. 7th Circuit Judge Amy Coney Barrett, 3rd Circuit Court Judge Tom Hardiman, as well as 6th Circuit Court Judges Raymond Kethledge, Joan Larsen, and Amul Thapar. All five were on Trump’s short list to for the seat currently occupied by Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
Trump’s renewed focus on the Supreme Court may signal a return to his 2016 election strategy, in which securing a conservative majority on the court was a top priority for voters. (RELATED: Supreme Court Rules Against Trump Administration’s Bid To End DACA)
“These horrible & politically charged decisions coming out of the Supreme Court are shotgun blasts into the face of people that are proud to call themselves Republicans or Conservatives,” the president tweeted roughly an hour after the DACA decision went public. “We need more Justices or we will lose our 2nd. Amendment & everything else. Vote Trump 2020!”