Some of the staff shifts have already taken place, reflecting how quickly the White House is looking to move on announcing a Supreme Court pick. | Zach Gibson/Getty Images Trump's Supreme Court nominee interviews get underway

President Donald Trump on Monday interviewed four candidates to fill the Supreme Court seat vacated by retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy, and said he plans to meet with two to three more.

“They are outstanding people. They are really incredible people in so many different ways, academically and every other way,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “I had a very, very interesting morning.”


Trump is moving rapidly to fill the seat and solidify a conservative majority on the court. He said he plans to announce his pick on July 9, and will choose from a previously published list of 25 contenders.

Meanwhile, the White House has temporarily reorganized key staff as it gears up for a major fight to fill the seat.

The selection and confirmation process will be led by White House counsel Don McGahn and the communications side will be overseen by Raj Shah, who is taking a leave from his role as principal deputy press secretary to focus on the Supreme Court, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced Monday.

POLITICO Playbook newsletter Sign up today to receive the #1-rated newsletter in politics Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

The White House’s director of the Office of Public Liaison, Justin Clark, “will oversee White House outreach with key constituencies, coalitions, grassroots organizations and allies,” Sanders said.

“Teams of attorneys from the White House Counsel’s Office and Department of Justice are working to ensure the President has all the information he needs to choose his nominee,” Sanders said. “The Department of Justice is fully engaged to support the nomination and confirmation efforts.”

Some of the staff shifts have already taken place, reflecting how quickly the White House is looking to move, especially with the threat of midterm elections that could diminish Republicans’ power in Congress.

The ensuing battle could be a defining moment for the Trump presidency, as his choice will almost certainly shift the court’s ideological balance to the right and could lead to major changes to rulings on abortion, gay rights, the death penalty and more.

