Right-Wing Judge Amy Coney Barrett Leads Trump’s List Of Potential Supreme Court Nominees

Following the death of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, President Donald Trump stated that he will nominate a new justice “without delay.” Justice Ginsburg passed away on Friday after a battle with pancreatic cancer. The 87-year-old was just the second female Supreme Court Justice, who devoted her life to fighting for gender equality. But now, just 44 days out from the 2020 election, Trump plans to move quickly to fill the vacant seat and give the conservatives a 6-3 majority in the Supreme Court. He has listed at least 20 potential names to be his right-wing appointee and will release his nomination as soon as mid next week, sources say.

Throughout his presidency, Trump has already appointed two justices to the Supreme Court: Neil Gorsuch in 2017, following the death of Antonin Scalia, and Brett Kavanaugh in 2018, after Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy retired. This could potentially be Trump’s third appointed justice.

Here are some of the leading contenders for the vacant seat:

Amy Coney Barrett: A former clerk to the late Antonin Scalia, Barrett was Trump’s pick for a seat on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which operates in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.

Amul Thapar: Thapar was chosen by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) to serve as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and in 2017, Trump nominated him to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that has jurisdiction over Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee.

Paul Clement: Clement served as solicitor general during George W. Bush’s presidency. He has argued more than 100 cases before the court, in the fields of health care, religious liberty and voting rights.

Noel Francisco: Francisco, who stepped down as solicitor general in July, had served in the role since 2017. He was a loyal supporter of Trump and served as many controversial issues came to the court.

Barbara Lagoa: In 2019, Trump appointed Lagoa to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, that encompasses Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. Prior to serving on the U.S. Court of Appeals, she was the first Hispanic woman and the first Cuban American woman on the Supreme Court of Florida.

Tom Cotton: Cotton served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2013 to 2015 and has served as a the junior Senator from Arkansas since 2015.

Ted Cruz: Cruz has served as the junior U.S. Senator from Texas since 2013. He was the runner-up for the Republican presidential nomination in the 2016 election.

Josh Hawley: Hawley served as the 42nd Missouri Attorney General from 2017 to 2019, before he was elected as the junior U.S. senator from Missouri. At 40 years old, he is currently the youngest member of the Senate.

Article by Charlotte Ruhl