WASHINGTON — President Biden said on Thursday that he had so far vetted four potential Supreme Court candidates, all of whom he believes could gain the support of Republican senators during the nomination process.
During an interview with NBC News’ Lester Holt, Mr. Biden said he wanted his candidate, who he promised to be a black woman, to have a similar view of the law as Justice Stephen G. Breyer, the most senior of the Liberal members. of the court, who announced his retirement last month.
“I am looking for someone to replace Judge Breyer with the same capabilities that Judge Breyer had,” Mr Biden said, adding that he is looking for a candidate “with an open mind, who understands the Constitution, on a certain level.” manner consistent with the general interpretation of the Constitution.”
Mr Biden echoed the language of Senate Republicans who have publicly called on the president to nominate a “mainstream” candidate who can maintain public confidence that the court can operate impartially, despite critics saying the Biden’s predecessor, Donald J. Trump, did the opposite with his nominees. Mr Biden, who served in the Senate for 36 years, has repeatedly said he wants the Senate’s advice and “consent” during his deliberations, despite the reality that he may receive little support from the other side of the aisle.
In his interview with Mr. Holt, which will be published in a series of clips, said Mr. Biden said he had researched potential nominees he described as “incredibly well-qualified and documented” and “honours students” who came from “the best universities.” Mr Biden said about four of them had undergone “thorough background checks” to see if anything there would jeopardize their path to confirmation.
Among those slated to be on the president’s shortlist is J. Michelle Childs, who was a little-known federal judge in South Carolina until late last month. Ms. Childs, a product of public universities, has been pressured by Rep. James E. Clyburn, Democrat of South Carolina and an ally of Biden.
Also on the list is Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, a former Attorney General for Justice Breyer who gained the support of three Republican senators when Mr. Biden elevated her from the Federal District Court in the District of Columbia to the powerful U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. circuit. California Supreme Court Justice Leondra R. Kruger, a Yale Law graduate who has many of the qualifications characteristic of nominees, is considered another candidate.
The White House has gone to great lengths to keep Mr Biden’s thought process a secret, saying little about how he prepares, other than reading cases himself, relying on outside advisers and meeting with members of the Senate.
“I also note that as he watches the trial, he’s not only reviewing bios, but also cases,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday. “And he looks at case files because he takes this approach very seriously. He takes it very seriously.”
This weekend at Camp David will be an investigative weekend for Mr. Biden, two senior administration officials said, adding that officials will be available to answer any questions the president may have while he investigates. Another adviser said the president was on track to elect someone before the end of the month, but that person left open the possibility that Mr. Biden, who likes long briefings and is not likely to run out of questions, will oppose his own decision. due date. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.
Last week, the White House announced that Doug Jones, a former Democratic senator from Alabama, would serve as a guide for the president’s Supreme Court nominee once elected.
Minyon Moore, a longtime Democratic aide and an informal adviser to Vice President Kamala Harris, will “mobilize a nationwide engagement effort focused on confirmation,” the White House said in a statement last week. Ben LaBolt, who served as President Barack Obama’s assistant press secretary, will essentially serve as communications director for the trial, starting his White House job on Thursday.