Biden has met with at least three potential Supreme Court nominees; announcement expected soon
By Ariane de Vogue, Joan Biskupic and Manu Raju, CNN
President Joe Biden has met with three potential Supreme Court nominees — including Ketanji Brown Jackson, Leondra Kruger and J. Michelle Childs, multiple sources tell CNN.
One source familiar with the three meetings — including the meeting with Jackson, who has long been considered the frontrunner — said the President has yet to make up his mind. Two other sources confirmed the meetings with Kruger and Childs.
Biden’s final decision is expected by the end of this month.
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The top three contenders are Jackson, who sits on the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia; Kruger, who sits on the California Supreme Court; and Childs, who sits on the US District Court for the District of South Carolina.
Andrew Bates, a White House spokesperson, declined to comment on interviews Biden has conducted but said the President continues to evaluate candidates to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer.
“The President has not yet chosen a nominee,” Bates said. “He continues to evaluate eminently qualified individuals in the mold of Justice Breyer who have the strongest records, intellect, character, and dedication to the rule of law that anyone could ask for — and all of whom would be deserving of bipartisan support. He looks forward to announcing a nominee this month.”
White House officials have also reached out in the last couple of days to liberal groups to let them know that the President was sticking to his end of the month timeline and urging them to support top tier candidates against attacks from critics, according to a person who was contacted.
That evolving crisis with Russia and Ukraine has not derailed the President’s plans to make a decision ahead of his March 1 State of the Union address, as of yet.
White House officials began reaching out to potential Supreme Court candidates to gather more information about their records earlier this month. As part of the normal protocol in the vetting process, the FBI has contacted friends and former colleagues of potential nominees.
The-CNN-Wire
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