President Donald Trump was set to unveil his pick on Tuesday for a lifetime job on the U.S. Supreme Court, likely choosing a conservative judge to try to shape the court for years to come on issues like abortion and gun and religious rights.
Democrats, still fuming over the Republican-led Senate’s refusal to act on former President Barack Obama’s court nominee last year, girded for a fight.
Trump has announced he will reveal his choice to replace conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, who died last February, at the White House at 8 p.m.
“We’ll be announcing a Supreme Court justice who I think everybody’s going to be impressed with,” Trump told reporters at a cyber security event in the White House.
A source involved in the selection process said Trump had made his choice between two conservative U.S. appeals court judges – Neil Gorsuch and Thomas Hardiman. Both were appointed to the bench by former Republican President George W. Bush.