President Donald Trump is reportedly prepared to nominate 7th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Amy Coney Barrett to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Axios reported.
"I'm saving her for Ginsburg['s seat]," Trump reportedly told multiple people in private. Those exact words were echoed days before he announced Brett Kavanaugh's nomination.
Barretts name come up as a potential contender last year when Trump was contemplating who to replace Justice Robert Kennedy with. She was popular amongst conservatives but some worried about her strong Catholic faith and abortion opposition. In particular, people worried about whether or not she would be confirmed in the Senate. Her stance on overturning Roe v. Wade would lead Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Susan Collins (R-ME) to vote against her, Axios reported.
The other reason Trump decided to wait to nominate Barrett: his team felt confident in the 2018 elections. They anticipated picking up more Senate seats, which meant a more conservative justice would fly. Republicans did pick up more seats in the Senate during the 2018 midterm elections.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginssburg, 86, was absent for the Court for a few months until her return in mid-February. Conservatives have speculated about when she would retire although the justice has made it known that she intends to "stick it out" until someone other than President Trump would nominate her successor.
Although Barrett is favored to take RBG's place, advisors familiar with Trump's decision making process said his picks are fluid, Axios reported. Should Trump have the ability to make another Supreme Court nomination, Barrett would have to go through another round of vetting. Trump's team would look into her rulings on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals since she was appointed back in 2017.