Will likely nominate a woman to replace Ginsburg next week: Donald Trump

President Donald Trump said he expects to nominate a replacement for the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court next week and that he'll likely select a woman. “I'll be making my choice soon,” Trump told reporters as he departed the White House on Saturday for a campaign rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina. “We'll have a nominee very soon.” He said that choosing a woman “would certainly be appropriate” to replace Ginsburg, and complimented two Appeals Court judges said to be on his shortlist, Amy Coney Barrett and Barbara Lagoa.

Barrett is “very highly respected,” he said. He said Lagoa is an “extraordinary person” and “Hispanic.” Both are Trump appointments to the circuit courts and are on a list of more than 40 potential Supreme Court picks he issued earlier this month. Trump said it “would be very good” if the Senate confirmed his choice before the Nov. 3 election and that he expects the process “is going to move very quickly, actually.” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in a statement Friday less than two hours after Ginsburg's death was announced promised Trump's nominee would get a vote, but he gave no timetable for when that would be.

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said Saturday he's had multiple conversations with McConnell about the confirmation. “We talked about the Supreme Court process and what to expect from the Senate,” Meadows said. “The discussion was more directed at process than individual persons.” Many of Trump's allies, conservative activists and Republican aides believe there's not enough time for a confirmation vote before the Nov. 3 election, people familiar with the matter said.