Who Is Amy Coney Barrett, Right-Wing Judge Favored By Trump For Supreme Court Nomination?

In the wake of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg‘s death, Donald Trump‘s administration is jumping on the opportunity to appoint a new justice before the 2020 election, disregarding Ginsburg’s dying wish to not be replaced until a new president is installed. According to multiple sources, Trump intends to release his nomination by the end of this week, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) has vowed to hold a vote. The timeline is short — it is just 44 days until election day — so the Republican Party will have to move fast if they want to secure a 6-3 majority in the U.S. Supreme Court before November 3. Trump has released an updated list of potential nominees. Such names include Sens.Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Josh Hawley (R-Missouri).

However, these three names might not fit the profile of the person Trump intends to nominate. At a campaign rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina on Saturday, Trump stated, “I will be putting forth a nominee next week. It will be a woman, ” as the crowd chanted, “Fill that seat!”

As a result of Trump’s most recent declaration, the attention has begun to shift to the female names on his list. Amy Coney Barrett, a former clerk to the late Antonin Scalia and Trump’s pick for a seat on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, is a top contender. Barrett received a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Rhodes College in 1994. She went on to attend Notre Dame Law School, where she graduated top of her class. Amidst her duties on the appellate court, she has worked as a professor of law at Notre Dame Law School, teaching civil procedure and constitutional law. Barrett is well-known and liked by the White House legal team, and when answering questions from reporters Saturday, Trump referred to Barrett as being “very highly respected.”