Sunday shows preview: Supreme Court fight in the spotlight

by Max Greenwood - 06/30/18 7:04 PM ET

Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy’s announcement this week that he would retire from the high court at the end of next month sent shockwaves through political and legal circles, as speculation swirled about who President Trump could tap for his replacement.

Kennedy’s retirement will give Trump the opportunity to appoint his second justice and reshape the nation’s highest court for generations.

Kennedy, 81, was often seen as the swing vote during his 30-year tenure on the bench. But Trump could move to appoint a much more reliable conservative.

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In the immediate aftermath of Kennedy’s announcement on Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell vowed to hold a vote on a new Supreme Court nominee in the fall.

Top Senate Democrats swiftly pushed back against that timeline, urging McConnell to follow the precedent that he set in 2016 following the death of Justice Antonin Scalia and wait until after the November elections to hold a vote on Trump’s eventual nominee.

Trump said Friday that he has winnowed down his list of possible Supreme Court nominees to five names, including two women. He said he plans to announce his pick on July 9.

The president met on Thursday night with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and two key Republican swing votes, Sens. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Susan Collins (Maine).

Trump also met with three red-state Democrats facing re-election this year: Sens. Joe Manchin (W.Va.), Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.) and Joe Donnelly (Ind.).

The looming fight over Trump’s next Supreme Court pick is poised to be a key topic of discussion on the Sunday news shows, with Collins set to appear on ABC’s “This Week” and CNN’s “State of the Union.”

Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), who has called for the Senate to wait until after the November elections to confirm Trump’s nominee, is also expected to go on “Fox News Sunday,” along with Leonard Leo, the executive vice president of the Federalist Society, an influential conservative group that will likely play a key role in helping Trump pick his replacement for Kennedy.

Here’s the full lineup:

NBC’s “Meet the Press”: Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash) will appear on the show, as will Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a political newcomer who defeated top-ranking Democratic Rep. Joe Crowley (N.Y.) unexpectedly in a New York Democratic primary race on Tuesday.

“Fox News Sunday”: National security adviser John Bolton will be on. So will Durbin and Leo.

CBS’s “Face the Nation”: Bolton will make an appearance. He’ll be joined by Sens. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), as well as former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Roberta Jackson. Mark Salter, the co-author with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) of “The Restless Wave,” will also be on.

CNN’s “State of the Union”: Collins and Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) are set to appear on the program.

ABC’s “This Week”: Collins and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) will be on the show.