washington donald trump start think campaign presidency last year fill supreme court vacancy turn group washington insiders control well-oiled machine put conservative judge bench discipline network operatives shepherd judicial activist leonard leo friday deliver trump first major accomplishment u.s. president confirmation conservative neil gorsuch supreme court justice unlike chaotic rollouts trump policy initiatives gorsuch nomination go relatively smoothly democrats put fight senate lack vote block republican majority lose key players include experience washington hand senate majority leader mitch mcconnell former senator kelly ayotte white house counsel mcgahn work plan nomination know work work resources need know side arguments answer like war leo tell reuters friday surprise stumble effort come trump attack judge block order ban u.s. entry people certain muslim-majority countries gorsuch distance president twitter message discipline maintain first five meet leo veteran bush-era judicial confirmation battle attend trump two meet twice election leo help compile list potential nominees trump help win conservative activists unsure trump ideological compass time still fight republican presidential nomination second long list come september include gorsuch federal judge campaign gorsuch confirmation would happen without mcconnell stop former president barack obama democrat fill high court vacancy create conservative icon antonin scalia die february 2016. trump election name mcgahn washington-based campaign finance lawyer jones day white house counsel know colleagues quiet man mcgahn manage nomination inside administration leo report mcgahn push back democrats claim trump basically out-sourced nomination process outside group leo say mcgahn carefully scrutinize list nominees simply rubber stamp gorsuch campaign get heavy market promotion back judicial crisis network jcn coordinate body conservative grassroots group launch 10 million pro-gorsuch advertise target particular senate democrats face re-election contest 2018. jcn bear administration former president george w. bush republicans realize strong outside campaign critical get conservatives court carrie severino group chief counsel say fact trump agree stick nominees list make job easy prepare several possibilities ads websites research packets much ready launch moment name confirm say leo say conservatives borrow techniques liberal coalitions work defeat nomination robert bork republican then-president ronald reagan 1987. jcn also tap social media communications professionals washington public relations heavyweight ron bonjean play role report white house press secretary sean spic white house mcgahn team office hold murder board gorsuch bombard question senators might ask legislative affairs director marc short team organize visit senators work ayotte ask accompany gorsuch around capitol hill ayotte accept say interview ayotte lose re-election bid november criticize trump help arrange meet gorsuch almost 80 senators end say source close gorsuch effort work highly regiment leo say machine get gorsuch bench stay although return job executive vice president federalist society conservative lawyers group leo hop trump tap machine possible second nomination presidency supreme court confirmations become full-blown political campaign say washington insiders give trump big u.s. supreme court win