Sometimes, reality turns out to be stranger than fiction. That certainly seems to have been the case as of late in our politics, and with barely more than two weeks to go until Donald Trump is inaugurated President nobody really knows what exactly to expect. He is the only President who will take office with no prior political or military experience, his campaign begging countless questions as to how he will govern while offering some vague clues such as his propensity for deal making and his enthusiasm for upsetting traditional political norms. In light of this unprecedented uncertainty it shouldn’t be too ridiculous to suggest that one of the smartest moves the former reality T.V. star could make once he’s President might be a strategy pulled straight from a T.V. show about the President.

In an episode of the award winning political drama The West Wing titled ‘The Supremes’, the President’s staff is tasked with finding a Supreme Court nominee on short notice after a conservative justice dies unexpectedly. While struggling to find a suitable moderate nominee who would placate both sides, deputy chief of staff Josh Lyman was struck with an idea while talking to his assistant Donna. She told him a story about when her parents’ cat died, and how they went to get another cat to replace it but ultimately couldn’t agree on which one to take home. In the end they compromised by adopting both cats, which gave Josh an epiphany — there was also a liberal judge on the court who desperately wanted to retire but refused as he knew the Republican controlled Senate would never confirm his chosen replacement. However, instead of the Democratic President Bartlett nominating a moderate to replace the conservative justice, if the liberal judge were to retire he could offer up two simultaneous nominations — one conservative and one liberal, a compromise which would return the court to its previous balance.

While this is far from the first time that The West Wing has seemed to overlap with real life, the parallels are striking enough to make the idea worth entertaining. Granted, it’s important to point out that Ruth Bader Ginsburg doesn’t seem to have any plans to retire soon, however it’s also worth noting that she was close friends with the late Antonin Scalia. Despite their disagreements, shortly after Scalia passed away a grieving Ginsburg described them as ‘best buddies’ — a heartening reminder that ideology need not be personal. The healthy, rigorous debate that the two engaged in was a public service for our country. By allowing all perspectives to be understood, all arguments heard, and all sides considered, the exhaustive clash of ideas within the court ensured that all decisions were reached with the utmost confidence. This is exactly what the court should be at its best, a place above politics where ideas can be considered by the most serious and intensely analytical minds.

With the dysfunction of Capitol Hill now spilling over into the judicial branch, a stubborn Senate has left the Court crippled for almost a year by refusing to hold confirmation hearings for President Obama’s moderate nominee, Merrick Garland. President Trump is now expected to nominate a young conservative to replace Scalia who should be confirmed with ease in the Republican controlled Senate and will likely serve for decades. That would be the conventional, easy route to go. He could also attempt a much bolder move by pulling a page out of the West Wing playbook and approaching Ginsburg with a deal. Trump could offer Ginsburg her choice of a liberal nominee to replace her when she retires, and he could then hold a huge groundbreaking press conference where he announces his two nominees — a conservative and a liberal to restore the original balance of the court prior to Scalia’s death.

The message would be unbeatable, the deal making President transcending ideology while giving both conservatives and liberals something to be happy about. It would certainly contribute to his image as a populist, while offering him another opportunity to make Congress look petty and partisan. It’s also hard to imagine any other way for him to earn more goodwill with Senate Democrats, making potential inroads for future bipartisan cooperation in the chamber most in danger of flipping back to blue. The biggest challenge, of course, would be getting Senate Republicans to go along with the deal — although they only hold a slim majority considering the two independents caucus with Democrats. Plus Trump’s ability to utilize the bully pulpit to generate public support for his ideas is not to be underestimated. If he were to pull it off, the President might just be able to get his head above water and escape the negative favorability ratings he’s been drowning in for over a decade. The final cherry on top would undoubtedly be the resulting media frenzy, which would allow Trump to frame the conversation around his unorthodox style and ability to make deals — catapulting him into popularity and defining a governing style. The idea may be a bit far fetched, but then again is anything really impossible nowadays?