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Allies of Judge Thomas Hardiman told to prepare for rollout of his candidacy; unclear what other candidate’s advocates have been told WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump has settled on a nominee for Supreme Court hours before a scheduled announcement, as some advocates prepared for the rollout of Judge Thomas Hardiman of Pennsylvania.

None of the four contenders being considered as President Donald Trump's nominee for the Supreme Court has been excluded, but the greatest focus has fallen on two candidates: Brett Kavanaugh and Thomas Hardiman, a source with first-hand knowledge of the process told NBC News. Kavanaugh sits on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. Hardiman is a judge on the 3rd Circuit of Appeals. The other two front-runners are Amy Coney Barrett Barrett of the 7th Circuit of Appeals and Raymond Kethledge of the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. CNBC reported last week that Trump privately indicated to a small group...

Sources tell Breitbart News on Sunday that Judges Amy Barrett and Thomas Hardiman have taken the top two positions in the Supreme Court selection process in the final hours before President Donald Trump makes his final choice for a lifetime appointment. Other outlets are reporting different names and numbers, leaving everyone guessing. At age 46, Barrett would be the youngest justice in almost 30 years. She graduated from Notre Dame Law School, clerked for a federal appeals judge and for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, then returned to Indiana as a law professor at Notre Dame, where she is well...

Just one day before President Trump is set to announce his pick to replace retiring Supreme Court Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy in a primetime address from the White House, a top Democratic senator suggested that stopping the nominee is more important than the upcoming midterm elections. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., acknowledged that so-called red-state Democrats may be tempted to vote for Trump's selection out of political necessity, but urged his colleagues Sunday to consider more than their political careers. "Beyond the procedure, beyond the gamesmanship, it is a life-and-death important decision to be made by this court on so many...

President Trump is expressing fresh interest in Judge Thomas M. Hardiman, the runner-up for last year’s Supreme Court vacancy, as he pushes his decision on a replacement for Justice Anthony M. Kennedy into the final hours before his self-imposed deadline of Monday night, three people close to the process said. All cautioned that Mr. Trump could go a different way before he reveals his choice in a prime-time address on Monday. He has said positive things to associates about Judge Amy Coney Barrett, a staunch social conservative, the people familiar with the process said, and he has not ruled out...

Sen. Lindsey Graham says Republicans are holding “four lottery tickets” with President Trump’s final short list of judges who could be nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court. “Republicans are holding four lottery tickets, and all of them are winners,” Mr. Graham said on “Fox News Sunday.” “If you’re a conservative Republican, the four people named, particularly Thomas Hardiman, I’m glad he’s on the list, are all winners, and every Republican should embrace these picks.”

Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader, told President Trump this past week that Judges Raymond M. Kethledge and Thomas M. Hardiman presented the fewest obvious obstacles to being confirmed to replace Justice Anthony M. Kennedy on the Supreme Court, according to Republican officials briefed on the conversation. While careful not to directly make the case for any would-be justice, Mr. McConnell made clear in multiple phone calls with Mr. Trump and the White House counsel, Donald F. McGahn II, that the lengthy paper trail of another top contender, Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, would pose difficulties for his confirmation. Mr. McConnell...

Judge Hardiman isn't the frontrunner, but he would also be an excellent SCOTUS pick -- and if he doesn't get it, he's okay with that. Here’s where we stand on the search for a Supreme Court nominee to succeed Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, according to John Roberts of Fox News (which is about as close as one can get to an official news outlet for the Trump Administration): "John Roberts ✔ @johnrobertsFox Sources tell @FoxNews that the White House is preparing 4 rollout packages for @realDonaldTrump nomination announcement. The 4 are Kavanaugh, Kethledge, Barrett.......and.......Thomas Hardiman 8:16 AM - Jul 6,...

n the wake of mass shootings that have divided the country on the issue of gun control, President Trump is considering nominating to the Supreme Court an appellate judge who has argued that Americans have a constitutional right not only to keep guns at home — as the high court has ruled — but also to carry them in public. U.S. Appeals Court Judge Thomas M. Hardiman has also written that convicted criminals, including some felons, should be able to recover their right to own and carry guns, as long as their crimes were not violent. Constitutional-law scholars and advocates...

President Donald Trump is expected to announce July 9 his nominee to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court. In 2016, Trump put together a list of potential Supreme Court picks during his campaign for president and has amended it twice—bringing the current total to 25 highly qualified conservative individuals. Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump I will be making my choice for Justice of the United States Supreme Court on the first Monday after the July 4th Holiday, July 9th! 7:33 AM - Jun 30, 2018 107K 39.1K people are talking about this Although the list is brimming with...

On Wednesday’s “Hannity” opening monologue, a list of judges on President Trump’s list to replace retiring Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy was presented in a fast-running backdrop. A complete list can be found here. Kennedy’s retirement, announced earlier on Wednesday, immediately spurred discussion as to who Trump might nominate to his seat. Constitutionally, all potential cabinet members and federal court nominees must be confirmed by a majority of the U.S. Senate. The Senate currently consists of 51 Republicans, 47 Democrats, and two Independents. In November, one-third of the chamber will face re-election or replacement. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) is unlikely to...

Good lord almighty. He’s going to bring them both out and make his choice live via a “gavel ceremony,” isn’t he? You wanted a reality-show presidency, you got one. The two judges who have been considered the top finalists to be President Donald Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court — Neil Gorsuch and Thomas Hardiman — are being brought to Washington ahead of tonight’s White House announcement, sources tell CNN. Gorsuch is supposedly already in D.C., Hardiman is en route. How is this going to work? Will they both be at the announcement? Why would you invite the runner-up to...

President Donald Trump has narrowed his first Supreme Court nomination to three finalists, with 10th Circuit judge Neil Gorsuch and 3rd Circuit judge Thomas Hardiman emerging as front-runners while 11th Circuit Judge Bill Pryor remains in the running but fading, according to people familiar with the search process. Trump interviewed at least those three finalists in New York during the transition, according to a person familiar with the search. Trump himself said Tuesday he would make a selection for the court’s empty seat next week and summoned top Senate leaders to the White House to discuss his impending choice to...

GRAND RAPIDS --State Sen. Bill Hardiman, R-Kentwood, will run for the congressional seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Vern Ehlers, R-Grand Rapids. He was announcing his decision today. "West Michigan has a history of sending conservative, thoughtful representatives to Congress such as President Ford, Paul Henry and Vern Ehlers," Hardiman said. "They carried themselves with dignity and integrity. I'm a thoughtful conservative and am excited about running for this seat." Hardiman's announcement ensures at least a three-way primary, but the field could get crowded with other Republicans still seriously considering jumping into the 3rd Congressional District race. "If I am...

GOP vowing to attract black voters Web-posted Apr 17, 2005 By SVEN GUSTAFSON Of The Daily Oakland Press Last month, a bill to erect a Ten Commandments monument in the Capitol building passed the state House with six black Democrats, among other bipartisan backing, supporting the Republican initiative. Just last week, the Rev. Keith Butler, founder of the 21,000-member Word of Faith International Christian Church Center in Southfield and a black Republican, formally threw his hat into the race for the GOP nomination for a seat in the U.S. Senate. With one former Republican National Committee chairman boldly predicting after...

State Sen. Bill Hardiman plans to join the Legislative Black Caucus, even though he may not have a whole lot in common with them, politically speaking. Hardiman, a Kentwood Republican who is black, would be the first member of the GOP to become a member of the black caucus, which always has been made up of Democratic black legislators. "I'm looking forward to it," Hardiman said. "Obviously, I'm African-American and we hold some of the same roots and cultural views. But I think I can bring some perspective that might be different than theirs. I think we'll be able to...