The White House is telling outside advisors to prepare for the possible retirement of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Ginsburg’s health is in question
Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s health has been in question lately. Back in November, we learned that Ginsburg was treated in a hospital after falling and injuring her ribs. (RELATED: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hospitalized for Broken Ribs After Fall.) And just a few weeks ago, we learned that she is actually being treated for cancer.
Now, the treatment is so intense that Ginsburg is currently working from home. (RELATED: Ruth Bader Ginsburg to Miss Supreme Court Oral Arguments for the First Time.) She is missing oral arguments at the Court for the first time in her career. And there’s still no determination of when she’ll be back working at her full capacity.
White House prepares for the worst
According to Politico, the Trump White House “is taking the temperature on possible short-list candidates, reaching out to key stakeholders, and just making sure that people are informed on the process” of nominating a Ginsburg successor.
This means the White House is seriously considering the possibility that Ginsburg’s time on the Court may be short.
Politico reports that the White House and senior Senate Judiciary Committee Republican aides are preparing for the possibility of a Supreme Court vacancy due to Justice Ginsburg’s illness, including putting together a shortlist of possible nominees. https://t.co/6iYPaf7gbP pic.twitter.com/uOozqYXZtq
— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner) January 10, 2019
Justice Amy Coney Barrett?
When Justice Anthony Kennedy retired earlier this year, President Trump chose Brett Kavanaugh as his replacement over a handful of candidates. One of the top candidates, however, was Amy Coney Barrett, a conservative female judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. (RELATED: President Trump Draws Closer to Supreme Court Pick.)
Some conservatives are speculating that Barrett would be the perfect choice to replace Ginsburg. It would meet the left’s criterion of replacing a woman with a woman, of course.
But, until Ginsburg officially retires, it’s all just speculation at this point.
