NOMINATIONS/SUPREME COURT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “President Donald Trump said he has narrowed his search for a Supreme Court justice to two to four candidates and expects to settle on a nominee this weekend ahead of a prime-time announcement Monday [7-9-18] night. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One en route to Montana for a campaign appearance for a Senate candidate, Mr. Trump didn’t name the finalists…Mr. Trump is searching for a successor to Justice Anthony Kennedy, a swing vote on the court who announced last month he would be stepping down. The vacancy is the second Mr. Trump has had to fill since taking office, giving him a chance to nudge to the right a high court that has been split between conservative and liberal factions for years. In April 2017 the Senate confirmed Mr. Trump’s first high-court nominee, Neil Gorsuch. Since the week began, Mr. Trump has interviewed a total of seven candidates. He is due to spend the weekend at his golf club in Bedminster, N.J., where he will continue his deliberations in the company of Vice President Mike Pence.”
–Peter Nicholas, “Trump Has Finalists for Supreme Court Pick,” The Wall Street Journal, July 5, 2018 7:43 pm