President Trump Donald John TrumpYemeni-American man kills himself after family blocked from entering US by Trump admin Dershowitz on MSNBC panel: 'Don't you dare accuse me' of defending Trump Bannon slams Kochs: 'What they have to do is shut up and get with the program' MORE is slated to announce his highly anticipated pick to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court on Monday night after narrowing down a list of potential nominees to just three likely names. 
 
 As the president prepares to make his selection, which comes less than four months before the midterm elections, conservative activists are publicly urging him to consider a number of picks that look likely to push the balance of the court toward conservatives for decades. 
 
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 Trump has reportedly narrowed his list of seven interviewed candidates to just three federal appeals court judges: Brett Kavanaugh, Raymond Kethledge and Amy Coney Barrett. He is set to unveil his pick at the White House in prime time on Monday night. 
 
 Democrats and some Republicans are pressuring Trump to pick a nominee who in their view is not intent on overturning Roe v. Wade, the landmark case that legalized abortion across the country in 1973. Trump has said recently that he will not ask candidates about their stance on the case as he prepares to make his decision. 
 
 Here's who top conservatives and allies of the president want to see Trump pick for his next nominee: 
 
 Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellSupreme Court fight becomes battle for Kavanaugh’s papers GOP senator warns against 'fishing expedition' for Kavanaugh documents It’s time we start thinking about post-Trump America MORE (R-Ky.): Raymond Kethledge and Thomas Hardiman 
 
 Though he hasn't backed anyone outright, the Senate Majority Leader is reportedly nudging Trump toward nominating Kethledge or Thomas Hardiman, because they present "the fewest obvious obstacles to being confirmed," The New York Times reported Saturday. 
 
 According to the Times, McConnell has told Trump and White House counsel Don McGahn in multiple phone calls that he fears another top pick, Kavanaugh, would have a hard time securing the Senate's confirmation. The Times reported that McConnell has raised concerns over Kavanaugh's extensive paper trail from his 12 years as a D.C. Circuit judge, in addition to his posts as White House staff secretary for former President George W. Bush and assistant to Ken Starr, whose investigation ultimately led to the impeachment of former President Clinton. 
 
 Hugh Hewitt: Raymond Kethledge 
 
 Conservative MSNBC commentator and radio host Hugh Hewitt has pushed publicly for Trump to nominate Kethledge, a judge on the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, whom he has described as the "best choice" in the White House's search for "Gorsuch 2.0," referring to Trump's successful nomination of Justice Neil Gorsuch last year. 
 
 Hewitt specifically pointed to Kethledge's willingness to challenge a company's "deference toward the vast administrative state, a doctrine dangerous in its corrosive effect on self-government," in a Washington Post op-ed this week. He also cited the advantage of nominating a judge such as Kethledge from swing-state Michigan. 
 
 Joining @craigmelvin on @MSNBC next hour to talk #SCOTUS and Judges Barrett, Kavanaugh and Kethledge. I’ve explained why I think @realDonaldTrump should nominate Kethledge — https://t.co/88L0vzl8HR— and underscore the upside politically of the MI Judge is very very high. — Hugh Hewitt (@hughhewitt) July 5, 2018 
 
 Matt Schlapp: Brett Kavanaugh 
 
 Matt Schlapp, the chairman of the American Conservative Union and a top ally of the president, has urged Trump in an op-ed for The Hill to select Kavanaugh as his next nominee. In the piece, Schlapp pointed to a number of rulings that favored conservatives, such as an opinion against a decision upholding ObamaCare's contraceptive mandate and a dissenting opinion against a ruling that upheld a ban on semi-automatic rifles. 
 
 "He literally wrote the book on judicial precedent, with Justice Gorsuch as one of his co-authors. No one else on the president’s list comes even close to that level of influence," wrote Schlapp, whose group hosts the annual Conservative Political Action Conference. 
 
 Mark Levin: Mike Lee Michael (Mike) Shumway LeeWe’re headed for a future where only the wealthy can enjoy nature Congress must provide a check on harmful tariffs Overnight Health Care: House votes to repeal medical device tax | Fierce ObamaCare critic joins administration | GOP senators target DC individual mandate MORE 
 
 Radio host Mark Levin named as his top choices for Trump's nominee two names that do not appear to be near the top of the president's list, while claiming Barrett as his third choice. The conservative host argued that he would rather see Utah Sen. Mike Lee (R), whom he called the "gold standard," nominated to the court, but conceded that Judge William Pryor and Barrett would be acceptable second and third choices, respectively. 
 
 My Supreme Court recommendations in order:I’ve endorsed Mike Lee, who would be the gold standard. My 2nd choice would be Bill Pryor & my 3rd would be Amy Barrett. All 3 of these individuals are solid constitutionalists.That is the only basis for nominating a person to the Court — Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) July 7, 2018 
 
 Laura Ingraham: Brett Kavanaugh 
 
 Fox News host Laura Ingraham joined the chorus of figures on the right banding behind a potential Kavanaugh nomination, tweeting Friday night that the judge's "12 yrs of STELLAR opinions" should overshadow any criticism he may receive for originally being named to the bench under the George W. Bush administration. 
 
 "The fact that Kavanaugh—like so many conservatives his age—worked for Bush 43 is a nonsensical reason to oppose him for SCOTUS," she tweeted. 
 
 The fact that Kavanaugh—like so many conservatives his age—worked for Bush 43 is a nonsensical reason to oppose him for SCOTUS. 12 yrs of STELLAR opinions. — Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) July 6, 2018 
 
 Memo to any concerned conservatives: Brett Kavanaugh would be a PHENOMENAL SCOTUS Justice. Rock solid 12 yrs of jurisprudence on 2A, immig, slammed use of int’l law, & slammed by @SenWarren! — Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) July 5, 2018 
 
 Ben Shapiro: Amy Coney Barrett 
 
 Daily Wire founder Ben Shapiro urged Trump to select Barrett during an appearance on Fox Business Network's "Kennedy" this week, calling her preferable, especially to Kavanaugh, in that she was likely "more solid in terms of what originalists are hoping for." 
 
 Kavanaugh, Shapiro argued, was the "D.C. insider pick" and was being pushed hard by former members of the Bush administration. Kethledge, he added, would be an acceptable second-choice pick. 
 
 Jim DeMint: Mike Lee 
 
 Former Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), who now heads the Conservative Partnership Institute, tweeted Thursday that he was throwing his organization's support behind Lee, who had apparently been eliminated from Trump's top picks by the end of the week but remained among the seven candidates Trump had interviewed for the seat. 
 
 “Sen. Lee has a proven record of standing up for principle, for doing the right thing for the right reasons, even in the face of withering criticism," DeMint tweeted. 
 
 “Sen. Lee has a proven record of standing up for principle, for doing the right thing for the right reasons, even in the face of withering criticism.” — Jim DeMint (@JimDeMint) July 5, 2018 
 
 Adam Brandon: Mike Lee 
 
 Tea Party-affiliated group FreedomWorks announced in a press release this week that its president, Adam Brandon, had signed a letter with conservative senators urging Trump to tap Lee for the high court. 
 
 "With the nomination of Neil Gorsuch to replace the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia last year, President Donald Trump hit a home run. Now, with the retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy, the president has a chance to go two for two, and put his stamp on the high court for a generation," Brandon said. 
 
 Erick Erickson: Mike Lee 
 
 Conservative columnist Erick Erickson appeared to join DeMint and other figures on the right in calling for Lee to be installed on the Supreme Court, calling the GOP senator the "perfect pick" for the court in a tweet in late June, sharing a column calling for as much. 
 
 Mike Lee is a perfect pick. https://t.co/1of6IBrbcq — Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) June 30, 2018 
 
 — This list will be updated with new developments 
 
 — Updated 9:20 p.m. ||||| LISTEN TO ARTICLE 5:12 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Share Tweet Post Email 
 
 President Donald Trump spent Saturday engaged in a deep dive into the backgrounds of the top prospects to fill an opening on the U.S. Supreme Court but hasn’t begun interviews with the finalists. 
 
 Trump is at his Bedminster, New Jersey, private golf club. He’s been studying the rulings, judicial philosophies and temperaments of his short list, said an administration official familiar with the process. 
 
 Trump, who’s spending the weekend with family, had “extensive” conversations by phone with White House Counsel Don McGahn to seek additional insights on some of the likely finalists, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the process. 
 
 While the president told reporters a day earlier that it was possible he would interview one or two candidates at Bedminster over the weekend, the official said that as of Saturday evening no presidential interviews with candidates had taken place, and that such meetings weren’t expected on Sunday either. Trump returns to the White House Sunday evening. 
 
 Trump said Friday he’d narrowed his search for a nominee to fill a Supreme Court vacancy to about five finalists, including two women, and will announce his pick on July 9. 
 
 A person familiar with the process said Friday that White House officials were focused primarily on five federal appeals court judges -- Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, Thomas Hardiman, Raymond Kethledge and Amul Thapar. 
 
 “I like them all but I’ve got it down to about five,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. In response to a question about Barrett, he called her “an outstanding woman.” 
 
 President Trump speaks aboard Air Force One on June 29 Photographer: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images 
 
 It isn’t clear what other woman might be on Trump’s short list. Trump said he may consider as many as seven candidates. 
 
 Trump’s time frame could prove optimistic. The FBI is still conducting background checks, the person said. But the president is already moving to get the process on a fast track. He met with a group of swing-state senators from both parties at the White House on Thursday to discuss the nomination, and his aides also spoke with more than a dozen other senators. 
 
 Trump said he’s not going to ask the candidates whether they’d vote to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade abortion-rights ruling, a decades-long aspiration of the Republican Party. 
 
 ‘Great Group’ 
 
 “It’s a great group of intellectual talent,” Trump said, adding that the candidates are “generally conservative.” 
 
 The confirmation process promises to be a partisan brawl, but one where Republicans have most of the control over the clock. Trump aims to have a replacement for Kennedy confirmed in time to join the court for its new term in October, White House legislative affairs director Marc Short said Friday. 
 
 Republicans have a 51-49 majority in the Senate, and second-ranking Democrat Dick Durbin of Illinois said Thursday there is little Democrats can do to stop the nomination unless some Republicans defect. Virtually all Republican senators have supported Trump’s lower-court selections and most have spoken favorably about Trump’s list of candidates for the Supreme Court. 
 
 Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, a top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, said that no matter who is chosen, confirmation will rest on the decisions of two GOP senators: Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Both have expressed support in the past for Roe v. Wade, and last year they displayed a willingness to split with their party when both voted to defeat the GOP Obamacare repeal effort. 
 
 Bipartisan Meeting 
 
 On Thursday night, Trump met at the White House with Collins, Murkowski and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa, along with swing state Democratic senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Joe Donnelly of Indiana and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota. 
 
 Hardiman and Thapar were among the group interviewed by Trump before he selected Neil Gorsuch for a vacancy last year. Kethledge was also under consideration for that opening, though he didn’t get an interview with Trump. 
 
 Kavanaugh, 53, is a former Kennedy law clerk who serves on the federal appeals court in Washington and has been a source of controversy for two decades. He was a top deputy to independent counsel Ken Starr and drafted much of the report that led to President Bill Clinton’s impeachment. 
 
 Kethledge, 51 and from Michigan, is also a former Kennedy clerk, known for pointed opinions. He won praise from conservatives for voting against the Internal Revenue Service in a case involving a Tea Party group that claimed it was singled out for mistreatment on its application for tax-exempt status. 
 
 Taxi Driver 
 
 Barrett, who’s in her mid-40s, is a Trump appointee who serves on a federal appeals court in Indiana. During her Senate hearing, Democrats questioned the role her Catholic faith would play on the bench. Barrett’s supporters accused Democrats of imposing a religious test. 
 
 Thapar, 49, is also a Trump appointee. He was recommended for his current post by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a fellow Kentuckian. Thapar, whose parents immigrated from India, would be the first Asian-American justice. McConnell said Saturday he had touted Thapar, but acknowledged he had “no idea” who Trump would choose, Associated Press reported. 
 
 Hardiman, who turns 53 on July 8, is a former cab driver who was the first in his family to graduate from college. He serves on a federal appeals court in Pennsylvania and has been a staunch supporter of gun rights. 
 
 Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah isn’t among the leading candidates, the person familiar with the discussions said. 
 
 — With assistance by Laura Litvan
– Mitch McConnell has been calling the White House daily, and not to discuss President Trump's golf game. McConnell has been carefully explaining—without explicitly telling Trump what to do—which Supreme Court nominees would get faster approval before the November elections arrive and make everything dicey, insiders tell the New York Times. McConnell prefers Raymond Kethledge and Thomas Hardiman and warns that reported front-runner Brett Kavanaugh poses two problems: too long a paper trail from his 12 years on the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and too much political baggage from his years as assistant to Kenneth Starr and staff secretary to President George W. Bush. McConnell has also told Trump he could lose two Senate votes (Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins) with another apparent contender, Amy Coney Barrett, who has trumpeted socially conservative views and may be more likely to overturn Roe v. Wade. McConnell is also aware that with John McCain away fighting brain cancer, the GOP has only 50 votes, and libertarian-leaning Rand Paul could be a wild card. The Times describes Kethledge as a "strongly conservative" Midwesterner who hasn't spent much time in Washington, and Hardiman as a "reliable conservative" who served with Judge Maryanne Trump Barry, one of Trump's sisters, on the federal appeals court in Philadelphia. Check out the Hill to see which contenders are being pushed by other top conservatives.