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 President Donald Trump spent Saturday engaged in a deep dive into the backgrounds of the top prospects to fill an opening on the U.S. Supreme Court but hasn’t begun interviews with the finalists. 
 
 Trump is at his Bedminster, New Jersey, private golf club. He’s been studying the rulings, judicial philosophies and temperaments of his short list, said an administration official familiar with the process. 
 
 Trump, who’s spending the weekend with family, had “extensive” conversations by phone with White House Counsel Don McGahn to seek additional insights on some of the likely finalists, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the process. 
 
 While the president told reporters a day earlier that it was possible he would interview one or two candidates at Bedminster over the weekend, the official said that as of Saturday evening no presidential interviews with candidates had taken place, and that such meetings weren’t expected on Sunday either. Trump returns to the White House Sunday evening. 
 
 Trump said Friday he’d narrowed his search for a nominee to fill a Supreme Court vacancy to about five finalists, including two women, and will announce his pick on July 9. 
 
 A person familiar with the process said Friday that White House officials were focused primarily on five federal appeals court judges -- Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, Thomas Hardiman, Raymond Kethledge and Amul Thapar. 
 
 “I like them all but I’ve got it down to about five,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. In response to a question about Barrett, he called her “an outstanding woman.” 
 
 President Trump speaks aboard Air Force One on June 29 Photographer: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images 
 
 It isn’t clear what other woman might be on Trump’s short list. Trump said he may consider as many as seven candidates. 
 
 Trump’s time frame could prove optimistic. The FBI is still conducting background checks, the person said. But the president is already moving to get the process on a fast track. He met with a group of swing-state senators from both parties at the White House on Thursday to discuss the nomination, and his aides also spoke with more than a dozen other senators. 
 
 Trump said he’s not going to ask the candidates whether they’d vote to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade abortion-rights ruling, a decades-long aspiration of the Republican Party. 
 
 ‘Great Group’ 
 
 “It’s a great group of intellectual talent,” Trump said, adding that the candidates are “generally conservative.” 
 
 The confirmation process promises to be a partisan brawl, but one where Republicans have most of the control over the clock. Trump aims to have a replacement for Kennedy confirmed in time to join the court for its new term in October, White House legislative affairs director Marc Short said Friday. 
 
 Republicans have a 51-49 majority in the Senate, and second-ranking Democrat Dick Durbin of Illinois said Thursday there is little Democrats can do to stop the nomination unless some Republicans defect. Virtually all Republican senators have supported Trump’s lower-court selections and most have spoken favorably about Trump’s list of candidates for the Supreme Court. 
 
 Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, a top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, said that no matter who is chosen, confirmation will rest on the decisions of two GOP senators: Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Both have expressed support in the past for Roe v. Wade, and last year they displayed a willingness to split with their party when both voted to defeat the GOP Obamacare repeal effort. 
 
 Bipartisan Meeting 
 
 On Thursday night, Trump met at the White House with Collins, Murkowski and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa, along with swing state Democratic senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Joe Donnelly of Indiana and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota. 
 
 Hardiman and Thapar were among the group interviewed by Trump before he selected Neil Gorsuch for a vacancy last year. Kethledge was also under consideration for that opening, though he didn’t get an interview with Trump. 
 
 Kavanaugh, 53, is a former Kennedy law clerk who serves on the federal appeals court in Washington and has been a source of controversy for two decades. He was a top deputy to independent counsel Ken Starr and drafted much of the report that led to President Bill Clinton’s impeachment. 
 
 Kethledge, 51 and from Michigan, is also a former Kennedy clerk, known for pointed opinions. He won praise from conservatives for voting against the Internal Revenue Service in a case involving a Tea Party group that claimed it was singled out for mistreatment on its application for tax-exempt status. 
 
 Taxi Driver 
 
 Barrett, who’s in her mid-40s, is a Trump appointee who serves on a federal appeals court in Indiana. During her Senate hearing, Democrats questioned the role her Catholic faith would play on the bench. Barrett’s supporters accused Democrats of imposing a religious test. 
 
 Thapar, 49, is also a Trump appointee. He was recommended for his current post by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a fellow Kentuckian. Thapar, whose parents immigrated from India, would be the first Asian-American justice. McConnell said Saturday he had touted Thapar, but acknowledged he had “no idea” who Trump would choose, Associated Press reported. 
 
 Hardiman, who turns 53 on July 8, is a former cab driver who was the first in his family to graduate from college. He serves on a federal appeals court in Pennsylvania and has been a staunch supporter of gun rights. 
 
 Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah isn’t among the leading candidates, the person familiar with the discussions said. 
 
 — With assistance by Laura Litvan ||||| President Trump Donald John TrumpYemeni-American man kills himself after family blocked from entering US by Trump admin Dershowitz on MSNBC panel: 'Don't you dare accuse me' of defending Trump Bannon slams Kochs: 'What they have to do is shut up and get with the program' MORE is slated to announce his highly anticipated pick to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court on Monday night after narrowing down a list of potential nominees to just three likely names. 
 
 As the president prepares to make his selection, which comes less than four months before the midterm elections, conservative activists are publicly urging him to consider a number of picks that look likely to push the balance of the court toward conservatives for decades. 
 
 ADVERTISEMENT 
 
 Trump has reportedly narrowed his list of seven interviewed candidates to just three federal appeals court judges: Brett Kavanaugh, Raymond Kethledge and Amy Coney Barrett. He is set to unveil his pick at the White House in prime time on Monday night. 
 
 Democrats and some Republicans are pressuring Trump to pick a nominee who in their view is not intent on overturning Roe v. Wade, the landmark case that legalized abortion across the country in 1973. Trump has said recently that he will not ask candidates about their stance on the case as he prepares to make his decision. 
 
 Here's who top conservatives and allies of the president want to see Trump pick for his next nominee: 
 
 Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellSupreme Court fight becomes battle for Kavanaugh’s papers GOP senator warns against 'fishing expedition' for Kavanaugh documents It’s time we start thinking about post-Trump America MORE (R-Ky.): Raymond Kethledge and Thomas Hardiman 
 
 Though he hasn't backed anyone outright, the Senate Majority Leader is reportedly nudging Trump toward nominating Kethledge or Thomas Hardiman, because they present "the fewest obvious obstacles to being confirmed," The New York Times reported Saturday. 
 
 According to the Times, McConnell has told Trump and White House counsel Don McGahn in multiple phone calls that he fears another top pick, Kavanaugh, would have a hard time securing the Senate's confirmation. The Times reported that McConnell has raised concerns over Kavanaugh's extensive paper trail from his 12 years as a D.C. Circuit judge, in addition to his posts as White House staff secretary for former President George W. Bush and assistant to Ken Starr, whose investigation ultimately led to the impeachment of former President Clinton. 
 
 Hugh Hewitt: Raymond Kethledge 
 
 Conservative MSNBC commentator and radio host Hugh Hewitt has pushed publicly for Trump to nominate Kethledge, a judge on the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, whom he has described as the "best choice" in the White House's search for "Gorsuch 2.0," referring to Trump's successful nomination of Justice Neil Gorsuch last year. 
 
 Hewitt specifically pointed to Kethledge's willingness to challenge a company's "deference toward the vast administrative state, a doctrine dangerous in its corrosive effect on self-government," in a Washington Post op-ed this week. He also cited the advantage of nominating a judge such as Kethledge from swing-state Michigan. 
 
 Joining @craigmelvin on @MSNBC next hour to talk #SCOTUS and Judges Barrett, Kavanaugh and Kethledge. I’ve explained why I think @realDonaldTrump should nominate Kethledge — https://t.co/88L0vzl8HR— and underscore the upside politically of the MI Judge is very very high. — Hugh Hewitt (@hughhewitt) July 5, 2018 
 
 Matt Schlapp: Brett Kavanaugh 
 
 Matt Schlapp, the chairman of the American Conservative Union and a top ally of the president, has urged Trump in an op-ed for The Hill to select Kavanaugh as his next nominee. In the piece, Schlapp pointed to a number of rulings that favored conservatives, such as an opinion against a decision upholding ObamaCare's contraceptive mandate and a dissenting opinion against a ruling that upheld a ban on semi-automatic rifles. 
 
 "He literally wrote the book on judicial precedent, with Justice Gorsuch as one of his co-authors. No one else on the president’s list comes even close to that level of influence," wrote Schlapp, whose group hosts the annual Conservative Political Action Conference. 
 
 Mark Levin: Mike Lee Michael (Mike) Shumway LeeWe’re headed for a future where only the wealthy can enjoy nature Congress must provide a check on harmful tariffs Overnight Health Care: House votes to repeal medical device tax | Fierce ObamaCare critic joins administration | GOP senators target DC individual mandate MORE 
 
 Radio host Mark Levin named as his top choices for Trump's nominee two names that do not appear to be near the top of the president's list, while claiming Barrett as his third choice. The conservative host argued that he would rather see Utah Sen. Mike Lee (R), whom he called the "gold standard," nominated to the court, but conceded that Judge William Pryor and Barrett would be acceptable second and third choices, respectively. 
 
 My Supreme Court recommendations in order:I’ve endorsed Mike Lee, who would be the gold standard. My 2nd choice would be Bill Pryor & my 3rd would be Amy Barrett. All 3 of these individuals are solid constitutionalists.That is the only basis for nominating a person to the Court — Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) July 7, 2018 
 
 Laura Ingraham: Brett Kavanaugh 
 
 Fox News host Laura Ingraham joined the chorus of figures on the right banding behind a potential Kavanaugh nomination, tweeting Friday night that the judge's "12 yrs of STELLAR opinions" should overshadow any criticism he may receive for originally being named to the bench under the George W. Bush administration. 
 
 "The fact that Kavanaugh—like so many conservatives his age—worked for Bush 43 is a nonsensical reason to oppose him for SCOTUS," she tweeted. 
 
 The fact that Kavanaugh—like so many conservatives his age—worked for Bush 43 is a nonsensical reason to oppose him for SCOTUS. 12 yrs of STELLAR opinions. — Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) July 6, 2018 
 
 Memo to any concerned conservatives: Brett Kavanaugh would be a PHENOMENAL SCOTUS Justice. Rock solid 12 yrs of jurisprudence on 2A, immig, slammed use of int’l law, & slammed by @SenWarren! — Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) July 5, 2018 
 
 Ben Shapiro: Amy Coney Barrett 
 
 Daily Wire founder Ben Shapiro urged Trump to select Barrett during an appearance on Fox Business Network's "Kennedy" this week, calling her preferable, especially to Kavanaugh, in that she was likely "more solid in terms of what originalists are hoping for." 
 
 Kavanaugh, Shapiro argued, was the "D.C. insider pick" and was being pushed hard by former members of the Bush administration. Kethledge, he added, would be an acceptable second-choice pick. 
 
 Jim DeMint: Mike Lee 
 
 Former Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), who now heads the Conservative Partnership Institute, tweeted Thursday that he was throwing his organization's support behind Lee, who had apparently been eliminated from Trump's top picks by the end of the week but remained among the seven candidates Trump had interviewed for the seat. 
 
 “Sen. Lee has a proven record of standing up for principle, for doing the right thing for the right reasons, even in the face of withering criticism," DeMint tweeted. 
 
 “Sen. Lee has a proven record of standing up for principle, for doing the right thing for the right reasons, even in the face of withering criticism.” — Jim DeMint (@JimDeMint) July 5, 2018 
 
 Adam Brandon: Mike Lee 
 
 Tea Party-affiliated group FreedomWorks announced in a press release this week that its president, Adam Brandon, had signed a letter with conservative senators urging Trump to tap Lee for the high court. 
 
 "With the nomination of Neil Gorsuch to replace the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia last year, President Donald Trump hit a home run. Now, with the retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy, the president has a chance to go two for two, and put his stamp on the high court for a generation," Brandon said. 
 
 Erick Erickson: Mike Lee 
 
 Conservative columnist Erick Erickson appeared to join DeMint and other figures on the right in calling for Lee to be installed on the Supreme Court, calling the GOP senator the "perfect pick" for the court in a tweet in late June, sharing a column calling for as much. 
 
 Mike Lee is a perfect pick. https://t.co/1of6IBrbcq — Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) June 30, 2018 
 
 — This list will be updated with new developments 
 
 — Updated 9:20 p.m. ||||| After Justice Anthony Kennedy told President Donald Trump he would relinquish his seat on the Supreme Court, the president emerged from his private meeting with the retiring jurist focused on one candidate to name as his successor: Judge Brett Kavanaugh, Kennedy’s former law clerk. 
 
 Trump, according to confidants and aides close to the White House, has become increasingly convinced that “the judges,” as he puts it, or his administration’s remaking of the federal judiciary in its conservative image, is central to his legacy as president. And he credits Kennedy, who spent more than a decade at the center of power on the court, for helping give him the opportunity. 
 
 Story Continued Below 
 
 So even as Trump dispatched his top lawyers to comb though Kavanaugh’s rulings and quizzed allies about whether he was too close to the Bush family, potentially a fatal flaw, the president was always leaning toward accepting Kennedy’s partiality for Kavanaugh while preserving the secret until his formal announcement, sources with knowledge of his thinking told POLITICO. 
 
 Trump, who spent more time with Kavanaugh than the other finalists, was impressed with the judge’s credentials, long judicial record and fidelity to the Constitution, according to administration officials. What was listed as a deal-breaker to some on the right — his long paper trail — was actually the thing that drew Trump to Kavanaugh. 
 
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 Administration officials said Trump was taken with Kavanaugh even before his conversation with Kennedy. But Kennedy, in leaving the impression with Trump that Kavanaugh would be a great candidate for the job, helped the president make up his mind. 
 
 Trump nonetheless helped stoke anticipation by interviewing a trio of other contenders, Judges Raymond Kethledge; Amy Coney Barrett, a favorite among anti-abortion groups; and Thomas Hardiman, the runner-up to Trump’s first pick for the high court, Neil Gorsuch, another Kennedy clerk. 
 
 Trump hit it off with Hardiman, aides said, and he views Barrett as a solid contender should he get a third Supreme Court nomination. Kethledge’s bid was scuttled by rulings that conservatives viewed as too accommodating to undocumented immigrants. By Friday, Trump had all but settled on Kavanaugh, a man with an Ivy League degree and conservative pedigree, according to two Republicans close to the White House. But he didn’t make his final decision until Sunday. 
 
 Late Monday, Trump made it official by selecting Kavanaugh for the high court. Standing next to Kavanaugh, his wife and two daughters, Trump made his remarks from the East Room of the White House, after thanking Kennedy for “a lifetime of distinguished service.” 
 
 “Judge Kavanaugh has impeccable credentials, unsurpassed qualifications and a proven commitment to equal justice under the law,” Trump said in his introduction of the Yale Law School graduate, who, he was careful to note, teaches at Harvard, Yale and Georgetown. 
 
 “Throughout legal circles he is considered a judge’s judge. A true thought leader among his peers, he is a brilliant jurist with a clear and effective writing style, universally regarded as one of the finest and sharpest legal minds of our time,” Trump added. “And just like Justice Gorsuch, he excelled as a clerk for Justice Kennedy.” 
 
 Kavanaugh, in his own speech, was effusive in his praise of Kennedy, telling how the jurist dedicated his career to securing liberty. “I am deeply honored to be nominated to fill his seat on the Supreme Court,” he told the room of family, friends and applauding Republican senators. 
 
 The White House declined to comment on Trump’s selection process, and a Supreme Court spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment about Trump’s meeting with Kennedy. 
 
 Those backing Kavanaugh viewed him as the safest choice, given his 12-year record on the bench and his own personal chemistry with the president, while Trump allies see him as more conservative than his mentor and the most confirmable of the group, particularly with Republican senators. “I think he knows his record was more conservative than Kennedy’s,” one Trump ally said of the president’s decision. 
 
 Trump remained coy throughout the search, offering little indication beyond pledging to choose from a pre-vetted list of 25 contenders who were blessed by conservative organizations and White House counsel Don McGahn, who also favored Kavanaugh. Trump interviewed Kavanaugh in the White House at least twice, with McGahn sitting in on the interviews. 
 
 poster="http://v.politico.com/images/1155968404/201807/321/1155968404_5807290573001_5807275045001-vs.jpg?pubId=1155968404" true 
 
 Though many in Washington were unsurprised by the pick, the president worked hard to keep it a secret, offering few clues of his leanings in his many conversations with aides and close associates. He wanted to heighten the suspense of his big East Room reveal, which he modeled after his January 2017 announcement of Gorsuch’s nomination. Many in the White House still marvel that the Gorsuch news was largely kept under wraps until Trump made it public. 
 
 In the West Wing, the Supreme Court pick was celebrated not just for its rare lack of leaks, but also as proof that this White House can stick to a carefully orchestrated process, avoid infighting and — at least for now — unite large parts of the Republican Party. 
 
 Trump nonetheless offered small hints of his leanings. Last week, when quizzing friends about his possible picks, a Republican source said Trump shot back a quick defense of Kavanaugh when his name came up. 
 
 The White House was so pleased with the selection process for Gorsuch that it decided to follow the same playbook, only this time it narrowed the field initially to the four finalists. Only a tiny circle of White House senior aides, such as McGahn, and outside officials, such as the Federalist Society’s Leonard Leo, who is currently on leave from the conservative group, were clued into the judicial selection process. 
 
 “This is something held very close to the vest. It does go to show that when it comes to important decisions, if the right people are involved, the story does not leak out,” said one Republican close to the White House. 
 
 The White House took pains to keep the news from leaking. The president didn’t inform Kavanaugh of his decision until Sunday night, according to two administration officials, when he also told McGahn and Vice President Mike Pence, allowing little time for the news to spread around Washington. 
 
 The White House also gave the other potential candidates little information about where the president stood, asking all of the top contenders to provide lists of potential guests for Monday’s announcement, according to a person familiar with the planning. It also didn’t hurt that Hardiman was in Washington on Monday for a pre-scheduled conference. 
 
 Even lawmakers were told of the decision only right before the televised announcement. Standing beside Pence and first lady Melania Trump, the president informed senators during a reception in the State Dining Room before his 9 p.m. remarks. Kavanaugh joined lawmakers and other officials present for the ceremony for another reception after the event, according to two administration officials. 
 
 But the White House failed to completely hide Kavanaugh’s arrival at the White House. Two sources told POLITICO they spotted Kavanaugh entering the building at 5:30 p.m. — through the residence on the South Lawn, away from the watchful eyes of journalists. 
 
 People close to the White House were hesitant to make predictions about who Trump would pick, despite indications he was leaning toward Kavanaugh. Trump, they noted, is nothing if not unpredictable, and the White House has been known to take steps to throw reporters and Trump’s own backers off the scent. 
 
 Two people close to the White House said McGahn’s team fanned false rumors last year that both Hardiman and Gorsuch were being brought to Washington for a reality show-style reveal of Trump’s first Supreme Court pick. The rumors, which were bolstered when Hardiman was spotted at a gas station by a reporter, further ramped up the suspense of Trump’s announcement. 
 
 A handful of lawyers from the White House counsel’s office, along with aides from the communications and personnel offices, had huddled on the fourth floor of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building for days to review the writings and opinions of the leading candidates. 
 
 They continued sharpening the briefing and vetting materials over the weekend, knowing that Trump would likely wait until his self-imposed deadline of Monday to make his decision public. By Sunday, the White House signed off on briefing packets, which included key decisions and biographical material, for the top four candidates. 
 
 All along they described feeling keenly aware that the mercurial president would vacillate between judges as he polled his close friends and allies, though his questions seemed to indicate that he had zeroed in on just two of the possibilities: Kavanaugh and Hardiman. 
 
 Monday morning, after Trump was said to have arrived at his final decision, many in the White House said they were largely resigned to a “wait-and-see mode,” as one administration official put it. The vetting and background research was mostly complete, and they were simply waiting on Trump to announce his decision to the rest of the world. 
 
 On Monday afternoon, Trump called Hardiman to let him know, for a second time, that he would not receive the nod for the Supreme Court pick, according to an administration official. The White House also separately alerted Barrett and Kethledge. 
 
 The White House, further ramping up the anticipation, announced during the afternoon that Jon Kyl, a former Republican senator from Arizona, will shepherd the nominee through the confirmation process. Kyl, who was a member of the Judiciary Committee in the Senate, works as senior of counsel at the major law firm Covington. Some reading the tea leaves noted that Kyl helped Kavanaugh ascend to the federal bench after fighting off Democratic delay tactics. 
 
 Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell recommended the White House select Kyl, a former GOP whip, as the nominee’s sherpa, according to a Republican official. Kyl is well-liked among Republican senators and could be a crucial conduit to Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) in the Judiciary Committee. Flake has frequently criticized Trump and blocked some judicial nominees in committee in order to draw attention to his opposition to Trump’s Cuba and tariff policies. 
 
 The White House is preparing to put pressure on red-state Democrats to support Kavanaugh's nomination. Pence will participate in a series of interviews on Tuesday to promote Kavanaugh with local television and radio stations in the home states of Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Joe Donnelly of Indiana and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, according to an administration official. 
 
 Despite the well-prepared promotion plan, many White House aides, as of 7 p.m. Monday, said they did not know the name of Trump’s pick, amid reports that Kethledge was at his house in Michigan and Barrett was spotted by reporters at her home in South Bend, Indiana. Outside conservative groups, which knew Trump would pick Gorsuch the night before that announcement, were still standing by on this latest selection. 
 
 The White House planned to brief conservative groups, surrogates and Hill staff during two separate calls with McGahn later Monday night, but as of the early evening, many remained in the dark as to Trump’s final selection. Still, delighted by the opportunity to swing the court right, these groups stood by with ads ready to be rolled out, as Democratic opponents planned a TV blitz of their own. 
 
 As the drama built around the pick, Kavanaugh’s backers were telling reporters that they felt increasingly hopeful he would get the nod, despite what some involved in the process cast as a drumbeat of negative attacks against the early front-runner. 
 
 Some conservative critics, including those pushing for other possible nominees, sought to draw attention to a photo that ran last month in The Washington Post. It showed Kavanaugh being sworn in by Kennedy to the prestigious United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, with a smiling President George W. Bush standing off to his right. Below, Bush strategist Karl Rove is shown in another picture with his arm around a younger Kavanaugh. 
 
 The goal was to paint him as too close to Bush, knowing that Trump’s aversion to the family might sidetrack his early inclination to go with the leading candidate. Kavanaugh also was scrutinized about whether he was sufficiently conservative, with skeptics questioning his reliability on hot-button issues like abortion and Obamacare. 
 
 But it was his long paper trail from the Bush White House, and his time as a lawyer for Whitewater independent counsel Ken Starr, that even some of Kavanaugh’s supporters privately acknowledged helped stall his candidacy, forcing White House lawyers to scour hundreds of pages of records as the concerns of some Senate Republicans, including McConnell, went public. 
 
 One senior White House official, describing the jockeying taking place, said that at times it felt as though there were only two camps, instead of four: the people pulling for Kavanaugh, and the “anti-Kavanaugh folks.” 
 
 As for the recent concerns relating to the Starr probe, a person close to the process said the White House and outside counsel concluded they could get through the documents fairly quickly. Trump’s selection marked a swift rise for Kavanaugh, who wasn’t on Trump’s initial list of potential justices. During the 2016 campaign, McGahn was intent on nominating justices who lived and worked outside of the D.C. bubble, said two former administration officials. Others mentioned the Obamacare issue. 
 
 Kavanaugh and four others, including Barrett, were added to Trump's list late last year. Kavanaugh was kept off the first list because he was a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and the president and his aides wanted the candidates on the list to heavily represent states that Trump carried in the 2016 election, according to two people familiar with the matter. 
 
 He was added at the urging of his many backers in the conservative legal community. 
 
 Kavanaugh is “not a clear outsider,” said one former Republican senior administration official. “I don’t think he’d have stayed off the list given his support from the Federalist Society and Heritage and, most particularly, McGahn.” 
 
 Observers said Trump, not one to back down when someone he wants to hire or retain in his Cabinet comes under fire, let the latest vetting process play out while focusing on what he sees as the bigger picture. He has told people that the opportunity to have two Supreme Court nominees during his first 18 months in office is historic, giving him the chance to reshape the direction of the courts and fulfill a major campaign promise. 
 
 Already Republicans close to the White House are predicting that Trump, if reelected in 2020, could have at least one additional Supreme Court seat to fill if Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg retires, given her advanced age. These aides said Trump viewed Barrett as an obvious choice for a third seat should it come up, even if this time around he was quick to eliminate her following their interview. 
 
 Kennedy’s seat, meantime, seemed destined to go to Kavanaugh, thanks in part to the glowing review of Kennedy, whose son, Justin, knows Donald Trump Jr. through New York real estate circles, and whose other adult child has connections to Trump world via the president’s 2016 Silicon Valley adviser Peter Thiel, most recently when the Kennedy firm Disruptive Technology Advisers worked with Thiel’s Palantir Technologies. Both Kennedy sons have been guests at the White House, and Trump had nice things to say about Justin in comments to Kennedy caught on a hot mic last year. 
 
 For a White House that had been taking the pulse of the court through the deep network of Kennedy law clerks, his retirement had long been on their wish list. And a year after Trump chose Gorsuch to serve with his mentor, he picked another ex-Kennedy aide to join him on the high court, a move that will shape how the president and the retired justice are remembered. 
 
 Trump “is very transactional in a lot of ways — as long as it’s fairly immediate to the benefit for him,” a Republican close to the White House said. “The fact that Kennedy gave him that, he was flattered and thrilled by it.” 
 
 Darren Samuelsohn, Lorraine Woellert and Burgess Everett contributed to this report.
– President Donald Trump has narrowed his list of prospective Supreme Court nominees to five finalists (although the list could change), and plans to announce his pick on July 9, reports Bloomberg. White House officials appear to be focusing on the following federal appeals court judges, all of whom are Republican appointees with conservative records: Amy Coney Barrett, Thomas Hardiman, Brett Kavanaugh, Raymond Kethledge, and Amul Thapar. Kavanaugh and Kethledge were both law clerks to retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy. The president told reporters on Air Force One Friday that he may interview one or two picks this weekend at his resort in Bedminster, NJ, and that he doesn’t plan to ask them about Roe v. Wade, the landmark abortion-rights decision, reports Politico. The FBI is currently conducting background checks.