Sources close to the presumptive GOP nominee say he again plans to release a similar list in coming weeks or months. As he did eight years ago, Trump will be emphatic, saying he would only choose from the new slates of candidates if there is a Supreme Court vacancy.
As he did during his first election campaign and as president, Trump has been consulting with conservative legal voices, including those from the Federalist Society and the Heritage Foundation. He has also spoken with GOP members of Congress to seek their input, say sources close to the former president.
What follows is an unofficial list of potential candidates for the Supreme Court by Trump. It was compiled from a number of sources, including officials within his inner circle, and Republican political and legal circles.
His team is still compiling a public list that remains in flux, but these are some of the names being considered:
Judge Amul Thapar, U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit, chambers in Covington, Kentucky
Born 1969. Thapar was the first federal district court judge of South Asian descent, whose family emigrated from India. Trump interviewed him personally in 2017 for the Scalia vacancy while still a district judge, then became the president's second judicial pick when elevated to the appeals court. He was later interviewed by the president for the 2018 high court seat filled by Kavanaugh. Thapar would have the enthusiastic support of his home state senator, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. Thapar was previously a U.S. attorney.
Judge James Ho, 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, Dallas
Born 1973. A former Justice Thomas law clerk and former Texas solicitor general, Ho was appointed to the federal bench in 2018. Born in Taiwan, his parents immigrated to California when he was a child. If nominated, he would be the first Asian-American justice. In October remarks at the Heritage Foundation, Ho urged his conservative bench colleagues to "get comfortable" with criticism over their rulings, speaking out against "fair-weather originalism" over that judicial philosophy.
Judge Gregory Katsas, D.C. Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, Washington
Born 1964. Add him to the list of onetime Justice Thomas law clerks who could make a Supreme Court short list. A former Trump White House deputy counsel, he was appointed to the high-profile appeals court in 2017, where Thomas, Scalia, Kavanaugh and Chief Justice John Roberts all once served. His age may be a potential drawback if the president is seeking someone younger who would presumably carve a longer legacy on the bench.
Judge Neomi Rao, D.C. Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, Washington
Born 1973. Rao grew up in Detroit, the daughter of Indian immigrant physicians. Like her D.C. Circuit colleague Katsas, Rao was a Justice Thomas law clerk. After working as a private attorney and law professor, she was nominated by Trump to the federal appeals court seat held by now-Justice Kavanaugh.
Judge Barbara Lagoa, 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, Miami
Born 1967. Former Florida Supreme Court justice, the first Hispanic woman and the first Cuban-American woman on that bench. A finalist for the 2020 Supreme Court vacancy that went to Justice Barrett.
Kate Comerford Todd, former deputy White House counsel
Born 1975. Another former Justice Thomas law clerk, she was given serious consideration for the 2020 high court vacancy that went to Justice Barrett. At the time, Todd was a key Trump White House adviser on judicial selection, among other areas. Now a private attorney, she could play another prominent role in a Trump administration, but her lack of judicial experience may be a drawback. Described as smart, principled, with a strong "originalist" view of the Constitution.