Does Sen. Orrin Hatch Have Insider Information on President Trump's Supreme Court Pick?
Washington insiders are scrambling to uncover any hint as to who President Trump will nominate to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy.
The president plans to announce his choice for the job Monday night.
CBN News Chief Political Correspondent David Brody will appear on Monday's The 700 Club with the latest information on the president's potential Supreme Court nominee. Check local listings.
On Friday, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) may have given a big clue as to the identity of Trump's nominee.
In an op-ed article for the Deseret News, Hatch writes about Washington's polarizing climate and the equally divided Senate the nominee will likely face.
"In an ideal world, the process for filling this seat would be simple, straightforward and above all, non-political," the veteran senator wrote. "Sadly, it will be anything but."
Hatch also referred to the nominee in his article using pronouns "her" and "she."
"Just as he did with Neil Gorsuch, the president has promised to nominate an impartial judge, a wise and seasoned jurist committed to upholding the Constitution at all costs," Hatch wrote. "But no matter the nominee's background or credentials, progressives will do everything they can to paint her as a closet partisan, if not an outright extremist."
"As the senior member of the Judiciary Committee, I will fight to keep jurisprudence as the sole focus of our confirmation hearings," he added. " And I will devote all my energies to ensuring that we confirm the kind of Supreme Court justice America needs: a justice who says what the law is, not what she wants it to be; a justice who calls balls and strikes instead of swinging for the fences; a justice whose foremost allegiance is to the American people and to the Constitution."
As CBN News reported, Trump has narrowed his list of possible nominees. Amy Cohen Barrett, a circuit court judge, is the only woman on the candidate's list.
Recently, liberals are trying to smear her for her faith. Barrett is a Christian who is part of a Roman Catholic group called "People of Praise." Some on the Left are trying to label it a cult because its members are so committed to their faith.
Her supporters say she is just like millions of other American Christians, and she's an outstanding jurist who once clerked for the late Justice Antonin Scalia, and a mother of seven – including a special needs child and two children born in Haiti.
According to Business Insider, Hatch's use of those pronouns may just be a way to encourage the president to pick Barrett. Or it could be a clue that he's already made the decision and Hatch as one of the highest-ranking senators could already know his choice.
CBN News will have special Faith Nation coverage of President Trump's announcement Monday night at 9:00 on Facebook Live and on CBNNews.com.
