Trump reveals new list of potential SCOTUS picks
U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled a list of new potential nominees to the Supreme Court on Wednesday -- a list of names aimied at boosting support from conservative voters before the November election.
Supreme Court justices receive lifetime appointments, and play an enormous role in shaping U.S. policies on hot-button issues like abortion, LGBT rights and immigration.
At a White House event, Trump announced 20 new potential justices - including Republican Senators Josh Hawley of Missouri, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, and Ted Cruz of Texas.
The Republican president also urged his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, to release his own list.
"He must release a list of justices for people to properly make a decision as to how they will vote. It is very important that he do so."
Trump's new names add to another roster he issued earlier in his presidency - most of them are judges who Trump has already appointed to lower federal courts.
A senior administration official told Reuters that Trump had sought people from different states and law schools, and noted that women and minorities made up 11 names on the list.
The Supreme Court's current 5-4 conservative majority includes two justices appointed by Trump, Neil Gorsuch in 2017 and Brett Kavanaugh in 2018.
Four of the nine justices are age 70 or older, including 87-year-old liberal Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who has experienced recurring health problems, and 82-year-old liberal Stephen Breyer.
If Ginsburg or Breyer steps down and Trump is able to appoint a successor, the court would have a rock-solid 6-3 conservative majority - or even a 7-2 advantage if both were replaced.
That could deliver changes long sought by conservatives, such as overturning the court's landmark 1973 ruling Roe w. Wade that legalized abortion nationwide.
Trump's ability to appoint justices will come down not only to winning re-election, but also Republicans retaining control of the U.S. Senate, which confirms federal judicial nominations.
