WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump was poised Tuesday to announce his choice to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court, one of the most consequential moves of his young administration and a decision with ramifications that could long outlast his time in office.
The president is to unveil his pick during an 8 p.m. EST televised address from the White House.
Trump is said to have made his selection from a group of three finalists, all federal appeals court judges appointed by former President George W. Bush: Neil Gorsuch, Thomas Hardiman and William Pryor.
Gorsuch, 49, who serves on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, and Hardiman, 51, who serves alongside Trump’s sister on the Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, are believed to have an edge, according to people with knowledge of the decision.
A White House official said both Gorsuch and Hardiman were to be in Washington ahead of Tuesday night’s event, adding a dash of drama to the announcement from the reality television star turned president. The official was not authorized to discuss the Supreme Court pick and insisted on remaining anonymous.