Donald Trump's Supreme Court pick: Who, When, How

David Jackson | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Why the fight to replace Justice Kennedy will be 'epic' Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy is officially retiring, which gives President Trump another opportunity to appoint a justice. Here’s why the stakes are so high.

For the second time since he took office a year and a half ago, Donald Trump is weighing one of the most consequential decisions a president can make: selecting a Supreme Court justice.

A year after he chose Neil Gorsuch to the delight of conservatives, the president is nominating a replacement for retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy. The pick could further shift the court to the right and solidify its conservative bent for years or even decades.

Trump told reporters Friday he will announce his decision on July 9, and he has "about five" finalists in mind.

Here is where things stand with the decision:

Who?

There's the list, and there's the short list.

While Trump says he will review an existing list of 25 possible nominees, aides said only a few names can be considered serious contenders.

Many White House allies see Brett Kavanaugh as the favorite. The 53-year-old appeals court judge is a former clerk for Justice Kennedy.

White House aides said other names are in the mix as well. They include judges Amy Coney Barrett, 46, the most talked-about woman on the list; Thomas Hardiman, 52, the runner-up to Gorsuch last year; Raymond Kethledge, 51, another former Kennedy clerk; and Amul Thapar, 49, a favorite of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, 47, a member of the Senate that must confirm Trump's nominee, is also under consideration, aides said.

At a campaign rally this week in North Dakota, Trump indicated he would pick someone young enough to serve on the court for decades.

"We have to pick a great one," Trump said. "We have to pick one that's going to be there for 40 years, 45 years ... We need intellect. We need so many things."

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Who is Trump listening to?

The Trump presidential campaign of 2016 put together an initial list with input from conservative lawyers and activists steeped in the politics of judicial nominations. That list has been updated since Trump took office but legal scholars who advised him on the issue during the campaign remain highly influential.

Among them: Leonard Leo, who is on leave from the Federalist Society; John Malcolm of the Heritage Foundation; and attorney Don McGahn, currently the White House counsel.

"I think the list is very outstanding," Trump said.

How will Trump decide?

Trump has already spoken with many candidates on his list, and will likely interview the finalists again, officials said.

In the meantime, aides will conduct background checks to see if there are issues that could derail a potential nominee.

Senators who will vote on the nominee will also be consulted, aides said.

Two primary targets: Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, two moderates whose support of the eventual nominee may be required in a Senate that breaks 51-49 Republican.

Trump will also discuss the vacancy with McConnell and Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee that will conduct hearings on the nominee.

When?

Trump said he would make his announcement on July 9, the day before he is scheduled to leave on a presidential trip to Europe.

Then starts the politics of a Senate confirmation.

White House officials said they would like to see a new justice confirmed and sworn in before the new court term starts on Oct. 1, or at least by Election Day on Nov. 6.