Trump weighs the Supreme Court candidates as a decision near

As the day progressed, Mr. Trump focused on different aspects of each finalist, and his own advisers were not sure where he would land, noting that he was not going to be the best. A final decision could come a few hours before Monday's television announcement. set for 21 hours EDT. "We are about to make a decision," Trump told reporters Sunday afternoon as he was preparing to return to Washington after a weekend at his New Jersey golf course. club. "Let's say it's the four people, everyone can not be wrong, I'll decide tonight or tomorrow at 12 o'clock, and we'll all meet at 9 o'clock."

The president's decision-making process was to include a Sunday golf round. with friends, including a conservative commentator

Sean Hannity.

Mr. Hannity did not immediately respond to a request for comment

"Trump would say," I do not want to be remembered to have made big mistakes here in 20 or 30 years . I want to do it properly and I want to do it for the story, "said

Steve Bannon,

former chief strategist of the White House.

Judge Kavanaugh had been a favorite up until Saturday, but the fact that Mr. Trump had not yet decided to let him think that his favorite driver status may have diminished. here Sunday, said several people aware of the search.

Judge, who sits on the Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia and was Clerk for Retirement

Anthony Kennedy,

has a long list of written decisions that Trump's advisers have said ensure its reliability as a conservative vote on the court. But some social conservatives worry that there is no single decision on a key issue like religious rights or the second amendment to excite Mr Trump's supporters, and that there is no single decision on a key issue like religious rights or the second amendment to excite Mr Trump supporters, and that they do not believe that the judge is sufficiently attached to their cause.

Disability for Judge Kavanaugh: His Relationship with the George W. Bush White House. The judge served as a senior official under the former Republican president, and Mr Trump clearly showed his disgust for the Bush family and the administration of the former president.

While some people close to the research say that Judge Barrett's social conservatism during a confirmation vote, Mr. Trump asked questions about his record Sunday morning, a person familiar with the research said .

His supporters – believed to understand Mr. Hannity – say that while she spent some time on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, her academic writing body should encourage the Conservatives, just as her links with the end of Justice

Antonin Scalia,

for whom she worked.

Trump was also late in facing the choice of Judge Hardiman, the second official finalist of his quest in 2017 for a successor to Judge Scalia

Neil Gorsuch.

Among his supporters are gun rights activists, another person familiar with the research said. Mr. Trump on Thursday called Judge Hardiman after an initial interview Tuesday, a sign that the judge, who sits at the Court of Appeals of the Philadelphia-based third circuit, was seriously considered.

Judge Kethledge, of the Sixth Circuit based in Cincinnati Court of Appeal, also met with the President last week.

The White House aides, not knowing who would choose Mr. Trump, developed deployment plans for each of the main contenders. They prepare to present the candidate's biography and criminal record in the hours following the announcement and arrange for the fans to speak on television.

Multiple applicants are aware of the process and have agreed to participate. Such disclosure will likely be similar to that of Gorsuch J.: his selection was restricted and then firmly settled the night before the announcement.

But the choice of a successor of Judge Kennedy has proved more difficult, those who know both processes

A central figure in the search is the White House lawyer,

Don McGahn,

which is part of a conservative legal world that values ​​judges who interpret the law by focusing on the precise legal text as it was drafted by Congress, as opposed to the purported reasons that lawmakers had in mind head when adopting the law

John Kelly

played a minimal role in the selection, said Trump's advisers.

One of the reasons why Mr. McGahn stayed at his post while other senior White House officials left was that he had the opportunity to 39 Helping Two Supreme Court Candidates

Last fall, Mr. McGahn spoke at a meeting of the Federalist Society, a group that helped to list the 25 Supreme Court candidates. that the White House used to fill vacancies

. "Our opponents of judicial candidates often claim that the president outsourced the selection of judges," McGahn said at the time. "It's completely wrong – I've been a member of the Federalist Society since law school – I'm still in. So, frankly, it seems like it's been entrusted internally." [19659004] With filing cabinets filled with the candidates' latest writings, Mr. McGahn argued privately that it is risky to name someone with a thin record of judicial writings. Such considerations would seem to diminish Judge Barrett's perspective, given his relatively short time on the bench.

Many Conservatives want to avoid an appointment reminiscent of David Souter's. He was nominated by former Republican President George H. W. Bush has often voted with the Liberal faction of the court. According to McGahn, choosing a candidate with extensive writing minimizes that risk, which people close to the research said.

The President and Mr. McGahn discussed last week with most members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. provide an early test of candidate's prospects for Senate confirmation, where the GOP has a narrow majority.

Committee Member Senator Chris Coons (D., Del.) Said Sunday in an interview late last week McGahn asked if he would agree to meet the candidate; Mr Coons said he would, despite concerns about what he sees as the direction of the research and a likely confirmation battle ahead of the mid-term elections in November.

"I urged [Mr. McGahn] to appoint no one until mid-term, to appoint a confirmable witness on a bipartisan basis," said Mr. Coons.

A spokesman for

Sen. Orrin Hatch

(R., Utah), another member, said that the senator had multiple conversations with the President and Mr. McGahn about the appointment and the confirmation process

"While Senator Hatch expressed that he is confident that the Senate will confirm one of the distinguished judges at the study, "said spokesman Matt Whitlock.

Republicans hold a narrow majority of 51-49 in the Senate, and the party is already a short vote with

Senator John McCain

Arizona at home fighting brain cancer. Any candidate would need a simple majority to pbad the Senate.

-Brent Kendall contributed to this article.

Write to Peter Nicholas at [email protected] and Louise Radnofsky at [email protected]