| | | | Coming soon: An 'all-out war' over Trump's SCOTUS pick | | Tonight, at 9 p.m. ET, President Donald Trump will announce his Supreme Court nominee, out of four top contenders. But once Trump reveals his pick -- during prime-time hours, of course -- all eyes will turn to the Hill, where senators will prepare to vote on whether to confirm the nominee.
As CNN's Phil Mattingly reported Monday, "Every Senate Republican who wanted to provide their opinion or lobby for a candidate has had an opportunity to do so (and most have taken that opportunity, aides say)." One GOP operative planning to work on the confirmation told Phil: "We're prepared for an all-out war. The full machinery of the Republican Party is going to kick into high gear. And I have no doubt the other side will deploy the same."
"All-out war."
There's no sugarcoating it: There is a huge political battle ahead, perhaps the most important one lawmakers have had to face in the Trump administration. A Supreme Court justice serves for life, making the stakes very high. Conservatives, for the most part, have been happy with Trump's first pick, Neil Gorsuch, and are looking for a similar candidate for this vacancy to be what they consider a reliable vote on the court. Trump called the Gorsuch choice a "home run" in a speech last week, and vowed the next choice will be, too.
"We hit a home run there, and we're going to hit a home run here," Trump said.
But Democrats need their own home run in order to win this metaphorical battle. They need the opposite of a "Gorsuch 2.0" nominee. Trump's candidate will replace Justice Anthony Kennedy, who was a swing vote. Roe v. Wade, the landmark opinion that legalized abortion, could be on the chopping block, and the US health care system will once again become the subject of divisive debate.
In order to win, the Democrats need some Republicans on their side. Namely, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican.
Collins, who's a supporter of abortion rights, told CNN's Jake Tapper that she would not "support a nominee who demonstrated hostility to Roe v. Wade." Murkowski is also pro-choice. But the two female senators are true moderates: Murkowski and Collins opposed the Obamacare repeal effort but voted in favor of the GOP tax overhaul. Both senators voted to confirm Gorsuch. It's tough to say which way they will swing this time around.
The Point: Whatever happens next will have a huge impact on American politics and legal precedent for decades to come. After Trump makes his pick, the pressure is on lawmakers.
Follow along with CNN's full coverage of Trump's announcement here.
-- Saba | | Here's what you need to know about Trump's SCOTUS contenders. - Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed to her seat on the 7th Circuit on October 31, 2017, just about 8 months ago.
- Raymond Kethledge was confirmed to his seat on the 6th Circuit on June 24, 2008, about 10 years ago.
- Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed to his position on the Court of Appeals for DC on May 26, 2006, about 12 years ago.
- Thomas Hardiman was confirmed to the 3rd Circuit on March 15, 2007, about 11 years ago.
| | | It is going to be a long news week. Here's a 2016 playlist from Bustle that may help: "17 Songs That Will Get You Through Your Work Week." | | | Today Brenna explains: What's next after Trump announces his SCOTUS pick? | | A LONG, BUSY WEEK FOR THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION | | President Trump's Supreme Court pick announcement is just the start of what is expected to be a very consequential week, CNN's Maegan Vazquez and Stephen Collinson reported Monday. Here's a list of other things to look out for this week: - Wednesday: Trump is set to meet with NATO members in Brussels, Belgium.
- Thursday: Peter Strzok, an FBI agent who has been criticized by Republicans for sending text messages disparaging then-presidential candidate Donald Trump when he worked on the Clinton email investigation and the Russia investigation, will testify before the House Judiciary and Oversight committees.
- Also on Thursday: Trump will depart from the NATO summit in Brussels and arrive in the United Kingdom early Thursday afternoon. The President and first lady Melania Trump will attend a Blenheim Palace dinner hosted by Prime Minister Theresa May on Thursday evening.
Read more here. | | 54 CHILDREN TO REUNITE WITH FAMILIES BY DEADLINE | | A district court reconvened on Monday to address whether to extend Tuesday's deadline to reunite undocumented children under 5 years old with their parents. There were nearly 100 children under 5 who were separated from their parents at the US-Mexico border, according to a list released by the Trump administration.
CNN's Tal Kopan and Catherine E. Shoichet reported: "Roughly half of the children under 5 years old who were separated from their parents at the border will be back with their moms and dads by a court-imposed deadline Tuesday, but the Trump administration is still not sure when the rest will be reunified. Still, at a court hearing on Monday, the federal judge who set the deadline for reunifications said he was 'very encouraged' thus far.
"There's no question that the parties are meeting and conferring," District Judge Dana Sabraw said. "This is real progress and I'm optimistic that many of these families will be reunited tomorrow, and then we'll have a very clear understanding as to who has not been reunited, why not, and what time frame will be in place." Read more in CNN's full story here. | | HECKLING OF TRUMP OFFICIALS CONTINUES | | Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon became the latest figure from President Donald Trump's world to be targeted with public harassment while browsing books in Richmond, Virginia, on Saturday afternoon. While at bookstore Black Swan Books, Bannon was confronted by a woman who began "verbally accosting" him and calling him "a piece of trash," according to a report by the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
The incident comes several weeks after others in the Trump administration experienced similar backlash from people in public. Protesters chanted "shame" and "end family separation" at Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen as she dined at a Mexican restaurant in Washington, DC in June. Just a few days later, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted that Red Hen's restaurant owner asked her to leave because she works for the President. Also in June: Trump's senior policy adviser Stephen Miller was called a "fascist" by patrons at a Mexican restaurant in Washington, DC.
WaPo took an in-depth look at all the Trump officials who have been heckled or harassed in the last year. Anthony Scaramucci, Trump's former communications director, told the paper: "I just think there's so much meanness, it's causing some level of, 'What do I need this for?' And I think it's a recruiting speed bump for the administration. To be part of it, you've got to deal with the incoming of some of this viciousness." | | | From Brenna: "As a preview to what we'll be watching for the coming weeks, Sen. Chuck Schumer expressed his unhappiness with how President Trump picked his SCOTUS nominee (before Trump officially picked his SCOTUS nominee). Monday came in hot." As always, thanks for reading. Tell other people you know to check out and subscribe to The Point, too! | | We'd love to share our other newsletters with you. Follow this link for daily coverage of the world's top stories, savvy market insights, an insider's look into the media, and more. Our authors for The Point are Chris Cillizza and Saba Hamedy. Send your tips and thoughts via email to Chris or Saba. Follow on Twitter: Chris and Saba.
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