 |
| Donald Trump |
My list of potential U.S. Supreme Court Justices was very well recieved. During the next number of weeks I may be adding to the list!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 19, 2016
The presumptive GOP presidential nominee earlier Wednesday released a list of 11 judges he would consider for the nation’s highest court to replace Justice Antonin Scalia, who died in February.
The list is aimed at pleasing conservative critics skeptical of Trump.
Trump’s selections included Diane Sykes and William Pryor, a pair of jurists he has frequently praised as model candidates.
Diane Sykes is the ex-wife of Charlie Sykes, a Wisconsin radio host who helped spearhead the anti-Trump charge ahead of the Badger State’s primary.
Pryor, meanwhile, is a former Alabama attorney general and a vocal critic of the Roe v. Wade decision that enshrined abortion rights.
Trump’s list also included Joan Larsen, a judge on the Michigan Supreme Court and a former clerk for Scalia.
Utah Supreme Court Judge Thomas Lee is the brother of Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and the son of Rex Lee, a U.S. solicitor general during former President Reagan’s administration.
Other judges mentioned include Raymond Kethledge of Michigan, David Stras of Minnesota, Steven Collonton of Iowa, Allison Eid of Colorado and Raymond Gruender of Missouri.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest on Wednesday panned Trump’s ideas, saying there is no “consensus nominee” who would make it onto the bench.
President Obama in March nominated Merrick Garland to Supreme Court, saying the judge boasts a moderate record with bipartisan appeal.
Republicans have refused hearings for Garland, however, claiming that the next president is best suited to replace Scalia.