McClatchy: “President Donald Trump’s top aides reached out to prominent conservatives over the weekend to discuss potential strategies for the upcoming battle over a vacancy on the Supreme Court created by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, asking them not to get ahead of the president days before he plans to announce a nominee. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, the vice president’s chief of staff Marc Short and the president’s deputy campaign manager Justin Clark have been reaching out to conservative leaders about the high court vacancy, sources familiar with the conversations told McClatchy.”
“The president is also considering a strategy in which he makes the nomination now and a Senate confirmation vote is not held until after the election, conservatives familiar with the discussions said. That strategy would depend on where Republicans who will decide the vote, such as Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, land on the issue. A delay in the confirmation vote would provide cover to Republican senators who are on the record opposing an election-year appointment to the Supreme Court such as Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who is on the ballot this year and said in a Saturday statement that the Senate should not take a vote prior to the presidential election.”