D.C. Circuit Court Judge Brett Kavanaugh and Chicago Circuit Court Judge Amy Coney Barrett are President Donald Trump's leading contenders for the appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court, CBS News reported Monday.
Both are on Trump's list of 25 possible nominees, about six of which the commander in chief said he plans to interview to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy.
Brett Kavanaugh, 52, is long the favorite of Washington, D.C., legal conservatives, especially those who began their career in the Reagan administration. A graduate of Yale Law School, he clerked for Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy. Considered a protégé of Justice Kennedy, his judicial record is considered more conservative than his mentor. In the Trump administration, Kavanaugh's biggest booster is White House counsel Don McGahn.
Amy Coney Barrett, 46, is a past editor of the Notre Dame Law Review and law professor at Notre Dame. She was also a clerk for the late Justice Antonin Scalia. When her appointment by Trump to the Court of Appeals was considered by the Senate Judiciary in 2017, Barrett became the subject of national headlines when Sen. Diane Feinstein, D-Calif., questioned whether her Catholic faith would have any impact on her rulings from the bench. The question brought harsh criticism from leading Catholics and a sharp rejoinder from Barrett.
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