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The Trump administration is preparing a bold push to reshape the federal judiciary and potentially the Supreme Court, eyeing new conservative nominees who could further cement the president’s judicial legacy, insiders told the Post.
The White House is listening to its most trusted legal allies as it develops a list of candidates who share a “bold and fearless loyalty to the Constitution,” said Mike Davis, founder of the conservative legal group Article III Project and a key Trumpworld confidant.
Davis has made clear for months that he aims to help Trump further entrench a conservative federal bench, and said he’s already “shared a list” of his picks with the administration.
He previously floated U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who dismissed Trump’s classified documents case, as an “ideal” candidate to pick for a future Supreme Court vacancy. But he declined to reveal any further names.
“I can’t get out in front of the president on any of this.”
Trump, who during his last term appointed three Supreme Court justices — Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett — could be in position to name more should retirements occur in teh next four years.
Justices Clarence Thomas, 76, and Samuel Alito, 74, are the longest-serving conservatives on the high court.
Although Davis previously suggested Alito might step down, he now believes such pressure “has the opposite effect.” Thomas reportedly has no immediate plans to retire.
Still, that hasn’t stopped insiders from musing for months about who could fill judicial vacancies under Trump 2.0. Contenders include:
• Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, of Florida, who made headlines striking down the federal travel mask mandate in 2022. She is married to the top-level DOJ official Chad Mizzelle.
• Prominent circuit judges James Ho (5th Circuit), Neomi Rao (D.C. Circuit), and Patrick Bumatay (9th Circuit).
• Judge Lawrence VanDyke, a Trump appointee on the liberal-dominated 9th Circuit Court who was previously on the shortlist of contenders following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 2020.
About 45 federal court vacancies await Trump action, including a coveted seat on 9th Circuit, where Judge Sandra Segal Ikuta announced she’ll soon take senior status. Two top contenders for Ikuta’s seat could be ex-Gorsuch clerks Eric Tung and David Feder, both young litigators at the Trump-friendly firm Jones Day, Davis told the Post.
Carrie Severino, president of the conservative Judicial Crisis Network and a former Thomas clerk, added Judge Kyle Duncan, a Trump 1.0 nominee to the mix, saying he is an example of a “fearless” candidate who stands firm on conservative principles
“We see how much the media and politicians attack the judiciary, and you need judges who will stand strong in the face of those attacks,” Severino said, noting Duncan as an ex-litigator defended Louisiana’s marriage laws and argued the 2014 Hobby Lobby case against Obamacare’s contraceptive mandate.
“This isn’t 2017 One senior GOP Senate aide told The Post. “Trump’s got the mandate — and he’s going to get what he wants.”
Trump is expected to unveil his first slate of nominees by early spring, signaling the strength of his renewed push to solidify a conservative judiciary that could influence U.S. law for decades.
The same source familiar with the administration’s list-crafting told The Post Trump could seek to send a message about his judiciary plans and release his first nominations list “with a collection of judges,” rather than just one, in the coming weeks.
“This isn’t 2017,” a senior GOP Senate aide told The Post. “Trump’s got the mandate — and he’s going to get what he wants.”
