it appears from all indications we're down to two, kavanaugh and hardiman.t the logic of that, i think the logic would say that the president would put hardiman in there. he's going to be in a hard fight and he's gotten assurances from mcconnell that hardiman, not kavanaugh, will have an easier time getting through. and hardiman's also, you know, has been friends with trump's sister. >> that's right. she had recommended him. >> he's from pennsylvania. you know, of the final four, three are from key states in 2020. thinking about pennsylvania. >> interesting. >> but it's unclear whether trump is moved by logic or whether he might even like a fight. we don't know that. so there is a lot of chatter right until the end of the day today about kavanaugh. if this is all gossip and chatter, wait until 9:00. we can wait two more hours. >> getting inside trump's head is -- >> kavanaugh, of course, has a long and storied history with the bush family. this is something that has been hard to underplay when it comes to the importance of it to trump. >> right. because this

again, between hardiman and kethledge right now the nod goes to hardiman.t's very important because you the two judges who are outside of beltway against bret kavanaugh who is inside the beltway and among those you get hardiman or kethledge. the rumor is hardiman is in the lead between the two. heather: interesting, another person that clerked for kennedy, and that's kavanaugh, what do you think about him? >> well, look, i think judge kavanaugh has been really the odds on favorite to be the pick from the start of this process. this was horse racing, he would have won the first two legs of triple count going into the belmont to win the third. the problem with kavanaugh, he's from washington, d.c., he spent career in washington, d.c., donald trump pledged to drain the swamp, arguably although kavanaugh has written very conservative views is viewed as major conservative, the reality is he is a dc person from inside the belt way and that could be a problem with a lot of supporters of the president that generally speaking doesn't like people inside the belt way

judge hardiman is in washington d.c. the way, ap is reporting it's brett9 kavanaugh. >> okay. well, i wouldn't be surprised. he clerked for justice kennedy, and he has a long track record some of which appeals to conservatives, some of which doesn't, some of which is misunderstood. he does -- neil: it doesn't surprise you he's closest to president bush, now three of the four justices were originally are appointed to the position by president bush and given the bad blood between donald trump and the bush family, we might be overreading into that, but what do you make of that. >> i make of it that donald trump is willing to overlook any bad blood he has with the bush family to put the perp on the court that he thinks -- the person on the court that he thinks this is right for the job. but this is a major battle brewing. neil: why do you say that again? >> because he is a lightning rod on abortion -- neil: but he's not as overtly catholic or as in your face with that as judge barrett, right? >> very few people are, that's r

. >> judge thomas hardiman is said to be a top contender. >> i don't have any idea. >> record rains pounded southwest japan, causing flooding and landslides. >> more than 100 people were killed, dozens more are missing. >> more than a dozen wildfires are burning in california. >> all of a sudden flames came right up to my back lawn. >> in england, two cabinet officials have resigned over brexit. >> theresa may's government is hanging on by a thread. >> paralysis and it's heading for calamity. >> costco is cutting the polish hot dog combo from the menu to make room for new healthier options. >> customers are not happy. ( cheering ) >> travis pastrana completing three death-defying jumps, made famous by his idol, evel knievel. >> he just nailed the jumps and made history at caesar's palace! >> glor: good evening, i'm jeff glor. this is our western edition. in just a few hours, divers will resume rescue operations at that cave in thailand. more than half the kids are out. now we will go there in just a moment. but we do begin here in washington, d.c. tonight with another big piece of news just

but hardiman has one very good connection. the president's sister. mary ann trump berry is a judge on the third circuit court of appeals and so is hardiman and they work together. the word is she has been lobbying her little brother the president, for hardiman. so sometimes it's the quality not the quantity. >> you can see it happening. yeah. pick up the phone. and talk tower brother. >> reporter: call little brother. >> interesting. thank you. >>> the trump administration is appealing to a federal judge for more time to reunite young immigrant children with their parents last month. a court ordered the government to reunite 102 children under the age of 5 with their families by tomorrow. the feds have been using dna testing to verify family connections. administration officials says the government is on track to reunify almost all of the children but more time will be needed in some cases. >> at this point, what we are looking for are specific promises by the government that we can hold them to day to day. >> more than 2,000 children were separated

judge hardiman is in washington d.c. judge kethledge -- neil: by the way, ap is reporting it's brett9 kavanaugh. >> okay. well, i wouldn't be surprised. he clerked for justice kennedy, and he has a long track record some of which appeals to conservatives, some of which doesn't, some of which is misunderstood. he does -- neil: it doesn't surprise you he's closest to president bush, now three of the four justices were originally are appointed to the position by president bush and given the bad blood between donald trump and the bush family, we might be overreading into that, but what do you make of that. >> i make of it that donald trump is willing to overlook any bad blood he has with the bush family to put the perp on the court that he thinks -- the person on the court that he thinks this is right for the job. but this is a major battle brewing. neil: why do you say that again? >> because he is a lightning rod on abortion -- neil: but he's not as overtly catholic or as in your face with that as judge barrett, right? >> v

and then the name of thomas hardiman came up again. all the connection between the president's sister, thomas hardiman, where he was in the neil gorsuch decision. stronglye comes supported by the president's sister. interesting biography. he drove a taxi cab for a while. hears, similar to what you from the folks who support raymond kethledge, he has a little more of a middle america appeal. he attended notre dame university and, of course, went to law school, at georgetown. this is someone who folks have pointed out has the strong rapport with the president. someone said they really hit it off. you cannot really -- it is hard to know how much that will play in. someonelipside, this is who was floated out there the last time around. and so would hate to be earned -- burned twice. but you have to look at what happened last time around. host: which goes to today's "wall street journal" editorial. a justice with a record. the biggest gamble would be if the president went beyond those three we talked about to choose thomas hardiman of the t

hardiman included?ll, obviously they've all been carefully vetted and putting together the supreme court list to begin with and interviewed by the president and by other very serious people taking this decision seriously. i think the republicans have learned from some prior nominations how important it is to carefully analyze these picks. so i'm sure who will be selected will be carefully vetted. >> neil: that means having a careful written judicial record to go on, opinions and dissents. that would favor a brett kavanaugh, not amy coney bennett. she's only been on the bench six months. why do you think the conservatives want that opinion? >> obviously the experience of the justice souter has seared many conservatives to those with a light record. a written record comes in many forms. as you mentioned, judge kavanaugh has a long track record of originalist texturalist opinions. judge barrett was an educator. it's putting your name to something. it's not taken lightly like justice souter was. >> neil: an

kethledge and hardiman have been top picks. and another who with assembled the list of contenders has concerns. >> i think first of all with regard to raymond kethledge and thomas hardiman, they are less known by conservatives. their records are lighter. it may time time. it is important to have people who are well known and distinguished records. >> cnn will carry the announcement live at 9:00 p.m. >> who do you have? >> i don't know. >> i think the president wants a fight which means amy coney barrett. >> there have been a lot of other judicial appointments down the food chain and a lot of young judges. this president is trying to reshape the courts in a conservative way. >> don't rule out hardiman. >>> ahead, a major deadline this week and the process to reunite migrant children with their parents. why the trump administration is asking for more time. next. >>> the justice department and aclu returned to court this afternoon with the government trying to extend the deadline for migrant families at the border. they will not m

somebody like hardiman or kavanaugh. the wore i have is with kavanaugh that they may get some dissension from conservatives that don't like his 2011 ruling on obamacare. borking kethledge would be difficult as well. the only candidate that might be subject to that scrutiny is amy coney barrett because of her writings on if fact that she believes an opinion and a decision from the supreme court was made in error, that she would support overturning the judicial precedent. you're going to have tough hearings. in question about that. will they last to the level of robert bork? probably not, shep. >> shepard: and you wonder how brutal it might become. what delay tactics the democrats can come up with. they know they can't stop it. their goal is to elongate the process. >> yeah, slow walk the process. the white house and outside groups want to get this done by the start of the next term of the supreme court, the beginning of october. that's the time in a mid-term election year when members of congress go back out to the distri

and the safer ones are judged to be and judge hardiman. i also think that judge hardima hardiman -- i was part of that selection process, would not have been added personally by the president to the list only to be left standing at the altar yet again. >> martha: the connection with president trump's sister, who served with him on the circuit court and has been a big proponent. i guess one of the questions is going to be if he chooses hardiman, how much influence did her input have? >> she's a very persuasive woman, and i know her very well. i was a state judge when she was a federal judge and that's how we got to know each other in new jersey. put that aside, a very persuasive woman who probably brought judge hardiman to the president's attention in the president i think bonded with him. i don't want to jump the gun because unlike senator hatch, we don't know who the nominee is. but if it's judge barrett, she's a lightning rod on abortion. if it's judge cavanaugh, he's got some conservatives who don't like them because of some prior rulin

talking about hardiman being the top pick. >> sure. judge hardiman is from pittsburgh, and he has the kind of every man quality that i think the president associates with his strongest supporters. he's known to the president, because hardiman was said to have come in second place last time, so the president had spent some time with him. he's also known to the president's sister. he hasn't decided in any cases involving abortion or affirmative action, gay rights, but he has gun rights and has been strongly in favor of gun rights. so i think he thinks that would appeal to a lot of his supporters and hardiman would have no real trouble getting confirmed. >> so he brings up a good point in that there's not a long list of decisions, especially when it comes to roe v. wade with regards to hardiman. that is something that democrats are seizing on. and they feel like it's a way they could feasibly win with regards to this scotus pick, right? they could get some republicans to come to their side. but if they have someone like hardiman, is that

hardiman is on the right.e third circuit court of appeals appointed by george bush in 2007. he drove a taxi to put himself through georgetown law school. a common man element to hardiman that the president probably relates to. brett kavanaugh is said to be the strongest horse in the race. some conservatives have issues with the 2011 obamacare decision he wrote. and he has a huge document trail because he has written 300 opinions and some people are concerned that could drag out the confirmation and there is only 83 days between now and the first of october when everybody would like to get it done. to the left of him raymond kethledge. he would be a safe choice. university of michigan, not the typical harvard or yale pedigree. his interview with the president went well. if we want to put up the graphic again amy coney barrett from the 7th circuit court of appeals is the other potential nominee here. the president likes her and would like to nominate her but fears a withering confirmation battle. she might lose

on thomas hardiman, very important, i think one of the reasons hardiman is in the mix, big time, is becausee religious expression cases, specifically, you know, where he's sided with the parents and students coming against school districts who say, let me bring my bible to show and tell, that type of thing. he is a sleeper evangelical pick right now, though barrett gets the headlines. >> he is apparently one of the top two contenders the president is looking at closely, according to our reporting. perhaps that's helping him. on the flip side, when you talk about amy coney barrett's lack of a paper trail, if you will, brett kavanaugh has a lot of it. that is creating concern, as you heard us talk about with judge gonzalez, and on the hill, it could take a long time to get through. democrats or judiciary committee may say, we need to look at all this and go through the proper procedures. >> look, of course they'll go through the proper procedures. i think concerns about judge cavanaugh's paper trail are vastly overstated. these documents can be produced and reviewed very, very quickly. republ

what can you tell us about judge hardiman? >> hey, david. judge hardiman is 52 years old. he was nominated to the federal bench in 2003 by former president george w. bush. and president trump, we're told likes his life story. he was the first in his family to graduate from college, notre dame, as you see there. his father owned a taxicab company. and judge hardiman drove one of those cabs before he went on to law school. hardiman has the strongest record in favor of gun rights. he's voted to restrict challenges from immigrants. and one of the things he hasn't really weighed in on are the big legal controversies of abortion and affirmative action. that is one of the reasons why senate majority leader mitch mcconnell reportedly has settled on hardiman as one of his favorite picks. he thinks that hardiman would be more easily confirmed than some of the other folks on the top three or top four. so at this point, i'm told the president has been fielding calls while he spends time in bedminster. i'm also told that the vetting has been done and now it's up to the president to set

brett kavanaugh and thomas hardiman.ate majority leader mcconnell has reportedly weighed in, hinting to the president that judges kethledge and hardiman will present the fewest obstacles to being confirmed. as mark murray outlined in today's first read, the anticipation is overshadowing some unflattering headlines that are shrouding the west wing now. there is the now botched negotiations with north korea. secretary of state pompeo characterized his meeting in pyongyang as productive. but the north korean regime accused the trump administration of pushing a quote unilateral and gangster-like demand for denuclearization and cle

but also, i like to remember, too, that trump's sister, also a judge, has worked with judge hardimanwas a finalist when fthe president ended up picking judge neil gorsuch. so he is this popular pick. and when you look at judges cavanaulve cavanaugh and barrett. republicans really want to lock this down. so if senator mitch mcconnell, he knows the votes and if he thinks that hardiman and kethledge are the easier ways to get. the confirmation process quickly, those are the ways. so i wouldn't be surprised if we see one of those two get the final pick. >> and john, do you think that by mcconnell making this statement publicly, going there, he is signaling to the president, as well, like, these are your two best choices? because to the best of our knowledge, the president is still making up his mind. there have been reports of last-minute scurrying and scrambling and politicking and lobbying for various different candidates. but when you look at, let's say, raymond kethledge right now, he doesn't exactly fit the prototype of the president saying, i've got to have some, you know, high, i

tom hardiman reappearing from the president's long list. tell us about him, and what the president is doing with regard to the list as he is in new jersey. >> first, he was the runner-up last time around when the president ultimately settled on neil gorsuch, and he has a great story to tell. thomas hardiman was the first in his family to go to college. he drove a taxi. his father owned a taxicab company, and he drove a taxi to raise some money. he is a known quantity and he serves on the same circuit court as president trump's sister. he is also according to some reporting, one of the choices of senate majority leader mitch mcconnell. mcconnell thinks according to "new york times" reporting, he would be easy to confirm. perhaps easier than some of the other folks on the list. we should say though that republicans behind the scenes are doing some battling, providing reporters with conflicting information to sort of get their chosen nominee to the top of the list here. so the caveat of course, is that the president we don't know who he is set

and thomas hardiman always the bridesmaid because his been in this position before.o you have kind of a pick for a the successful in getting the confirmation. >> i think you're right. the conventional wisdom whatever they say with judge kavanaugh and judge coney barrett. i think judge thomas hardiman for the third circuit court of appeals would have a really good shot. i don't have a crystal ball obviously, but at the same time he was right in and make some may have been down to the last two choices last time to replace justice scalia. so he may get it this time. >> there is talk that is something president trump likes about hardiman. because of his background of his personal story, the first family to go to college. a runner-up to fill the seat and also his work on the u.s. court of appeals for the third circuit pennsylvania, new jersey, delaware, virgin islands with a strong record in the respect that record. he could get one or two democrats on board. >> the point is an excellent one. this president ran campaigns and functions as president on the idea of not neces

why is it the president has given judge hardiman another look? what has changed here?on may be getting cold feet on two other judges, judge kavanaugh sand on other. >> hardiman has been described as a second amendment extremist. does that not potentially pose a problem of getting through the nomination? >> oh, it certainly will. this is a narrow republican senate with only 51. he's seen as conservative but not somebody who will be justifying on their position on social issues. on a friday call, for example, senate majority leader mitch mcconnell based on my reporting and first reported by the "new york times" told the president that hardimanor raymond kethledge could be solid choices of nominees, even if they have those records on gun rights. >> let's go to raymond kethledge and what he brings to the table that the president is appreciating. >> he also is a former clerk for justice kennedy. you see someone that comes from the midwest. if the bush ties for judge brett kavanaugh, too tied to the republican establishment, in judge kethledge you have someone who is conserv

hardiman was the runner-up to justice gorsuch last year. joining me now, nbc's justice correspondent pete williams and kristen welker, robert costa, the national political reporter at "the washington post" and moderator of "washington week." and adam white, research fellow at the hoover institution and director for the study of the administrative state at george mason university's antonin scalia law school. thank you very much. pete, set the stage for us. we understand these are the four finalists. you never know what the president might do. how do you see the -- them stacking up in these closing hours? >> yeah, i don't even know if they know who he's chosen. remember last year the president went to great lengths to conceal the fact that it was neil gorsuch. and the way they sort of sneaked him into town. i don't know if they've done that with these folks yet. brett kavanaugh if you look at individually, he's the only one with an ivy league education. that's something president trump has said it important. kavanaugh is a yale graduate. soli

but just like the others, hardiman will face opposition for most senate democrats. that's because there's all kinds of fear out there that the president's choice may undermine both roe v. wade and obamacare, according to a top party source. the president's supreme court pick kicks off a huge week ahead for him. so after he shapes the court's future tonight, president trump moves on to critical meetings with nato, the british prime minister and vladimir putin. let's go straight to the white house to our chief there jim a costa. on the pick, we heard the front runner has been changing by the hour. what are you hearing right now? >> i think that's right. although it seems that a lot of the focus has been zeroing in on brett kavanaugh and thomas hardiman in the last hours before the pick is unveiled later this evening. you don't want to handicap things too much because the president has the flare for the dramatic to put things mildly. one thing we can point out i can tell you from talking to a source familiar with the process in the last few hours the trump supreme cour

brett kavanaugh and thomas hardiman. senate majority leader mcconnell has reportedly weighed in, hinting to the president that judges kethledge and hardiman will present the fewest obstacles to being confirmed. as mark murray outlined in today's first read, the anticipation is overshadowing some unflattering headlines that are shrouding the west wing now. there is the now botched negotiations with north korea. secretary of state pompeo characterized his meeting in pyongyang as productive. but the north korean regime accused the trump administration of pushing a quote unilateral and gangster-like demand for denuclearization and called it regrettable. there's also the issue of the migrant children who remain separated from their parents. most notably, those under 5, the government is taking longer than expected. we'll get you an update on that as well. joining us now with the latest from the white house is nbc news' hans nichols. where are we? the president has promised and reiterated that 9:00 p.m. tonight is when he does

she served with hardiman on the third court of appeals.e drove a taxi during his days as a lobbyist -- law student at georgetown university and that is been cited as a plus inside the white house along with conservative really. senate majority leader mitch mcconnell did not push a choice on the president. he did know that hardiman and judge kaplan's could fair k edge could fare well in the senate because of their reputations and record run as politically charged." the president says whoever that person is they look at the full support of senate republicans in key democrats. >> i have two words, supreme court and confidence. we have a technical problem. republicans are holding four lottery tickets and all of them are winners. if you are a conservative republican, the four people named, especially thomas hardiman, are all winners that every republican should in place -- embrace. donald trump could nominate george washington or john marshall and they couldn't get through, maybe a handful of democrats will vote for a trump back because they ac

is it hardiman or is it kavanaugh? i think that matters. i think for the democrats have to decide let's say it's amy coney barrett are they going to -- are you going to have a donald trump loves reality tv, is he going to try to pit bear receipt versus elizabeth warren or something in a spectacle of who really recommendation the women's movement? i also wouldn't rule out geography a little bit in this. hardiman is from pennsylvania. that's a crucial state for donald trump. and you know, they are floating his name really i think this morning to the top of the list. they may feel he's going -- he's unimpeach oable, like grorsuch, he can pick up nor con semore ae senators and break the solid blue line you're talking about. >> and kethledge from michigan and some of them are quite young and could be on the bench for a long time. amy coney barrett, 46 years old and kethledge 51. thank you, stick around we have more news we need your help on at this. one day after giuliani tells my he can co michael could hen to tell the truth, lonnie davis is fi

hardiman is 53. kethledge is 51. barret is 46.hris: absolutely no accident that those folks rocketed to the top and were on the list to begin with. there are some interesting parallels in the age to sort of -- the folks on the left of the court and the democratic leadership in congress as well. it sort of feels like democrats are bumping up against things in both congress and on the supreme court. and i think that all of this is by design, at least when it comes to these potential nominees this time around. steve: and also spotted yesterday according to playbook at lunch, rudy giuliani, andrew , giuliani, sean hannity, eating lunch with the president at bedminster in new jersey. chris: this is the one caveat i will give to all of the vetting and things that go through the white house counsel's office. obviously, the president has a -- has his own outside kitchen cabinet folks he is very close to an talks to. those are the people harder to gauge. he is hearing from a multitude of folks, including folks with big cable news platforms

also in the running, thomas hardiman of pennsylvania. as the president headed back to washington, he said his search is almost complete. >> let's say it's the four people, but they are excellent, every one, you can't go wrong, bu'm close to conrmation is paved with political pressure. >> i hope every republican wl t conserva >> fooled. >> behind the scenes, senate majority leader mitch mcconnell encouraged president trump to make a tactical choice. a priority echoed by republican roy blunt. >> i think the president has to think about who is the easiest to get confirmed here. >> hardiman's last confirmation vote was unanimous, that included democrats. for kavanaugh, confirmation could take extra time for senators to review his lengthy record as a judge and when he managed all presidential docus george w. bush. while barrett's views as a social conservative could risk needed republican votes from two senators who support abortion rights, but for three red state democrats who back the president's first supreme court pick, their jobs are on

thomas hardiman. susan page, those who are two mitch mcconnell prefers, essentially, kavanaugh is too much of a paper trail, and amy barrett would spark a culture war. >> he is associated with the last republican president, right, with george w. bush. who knew that would be a liability with the next republican president? the argument for barrett is the same for and against. she'd spark a culture war. some republicans think it'd be great. the question is, will president trump think that, as well? she's 46 years old. that's an asset. name her to the court, she's confirmed, she could be there four decades. >> eugene robinson, let me put up -- each one of these has a conservative concern about them. sort of, as susan mentioned with brett kavanaugh, it is the bush connections. one called him the low-energy jeb bush pick. kethledge, i think, is called an open border zealot. barrett is the culture war. is that good or bad? it seems conservatives have a way of killing any of them. >> what are they suppose --

julie: i want to get to judge thomas hardiman before i let you go. after a phone interview with hardiman on tuesday, president trump called him again on thursday. not bad two calls from the president in a week, obviously an indication he was still in the running heading into the weekend. still the president hasn't made up his mind. looking at these four, what do you think will ultimately lead him to make his decision which i'm told should happen tomorrow with his announcement on monday night? >> hardiman also served with one of president trump's sisters and she is a big fan of him, so that certainly i think is probably a bonus in his eyes, but again, i think kavanaugh is the most likely pick for the only reason for the main reason i would say is that, you know, that law review article probably has landed on the president's desk, that he would be deferential to the president in an investigation, and that's something that i think from the president's tweets that seems significant to him. julie: jamie weinstein, thank you, you're not done yet, though. w

hardiman was the number two pick.er-up to gorsuch. >> to put it in colloquial terms, if that is the right word, if the president feels bridesmaid should be the bride, complete the analogy, he may take him. the other thing of course is amy barrett, what i find interesting there, first female conservative pick to the supreme court. we've had justices kagan and sotomayor, ginsburg, sandra day o'connor was moderate. to have conservative female pick, may well be the direction it goes. it is so hard to handicap, you need a crystal ball. connell: we talk about elections having consequences. the supreme court is largest consequence of an election. >> no question about it. connell: how large is this particular pick? everybody is talking about the court having solid conservative majority. what about the big issues on the table? is roe v. wade one of them? >> it's a great question and the reason is everybody has to keep in mind a little bit of a history lesson, the last seat was replacement of antonin scalia a rock-ribbed coy co

>> hardiman. >> why? >> first of all, the reporting seems to suggest that it's narrowed to two of the four. barrett is no longer in the running. kethled kethledge was found boring by the president. and of the two remaining, mitch mcconnell said if you want a smooth confirmation, hardiman b is your guy. and given that -- >> he's not an ivy league guy. >> and very importantly, he's from pennsylvania. and i think that matters to this president in terms of thinking about his own future politically. it would help him in the key state and it's the fact that his sister is support iing him and hardiman came in number two. . he was the runner up to gorsuch. there are all sorts of things that would favor gorsuch. kavanaugh is more controversial within the conservative base. i think that that makes one more reason why you want to go for somebody that's safe and easy. i don't think it has as much drama as gorsuch. which i thought it was best role in the presidency. but it has star significant. it's going to create a

but if you put me out on the hook right now i would say that judge hardiman of the third circuit.e perspective of the white house is that he is probably as confirmable as any of them. this is who senator mcconnell hinted would be one of the ones who could be confirmed. he has a strong record and his conservative. he has written some very pro- second amendment opinions. he would be a very reliable conservative voice. overall, i like him. he was apparently one of the ones who came in second place to justice or such. and apparently he got along well with president trump. one of the others did not get along so well. if i have to put down my nickel right now i will put it on him. >> we will see what happens shortly. let's talk about the issue of abortion rights. that seems to have been one of the focuses from the moment we learned that judge anthony kennedy would be retiring. let's talk about the concerns regarding that and what you consider will happen once this justice is confirmed. >> when president trump was running he made it clear that he wanted justices who would vote to overtur

the times has since reported that the president is expressing fresh interest in hardiman as the process enters its final hours. and here's what trump had to say on his way back from new jersey just this afternoon. >> i'm very close to making a decision. i've not made it official yet obviously. i've not made it final, but we're very close to making a decision. >>> let's say it's the four people. they're excellent, everyone. you can't go wrong. i'm getting very close to making a final decision. i'll probably be decided tonight or tomorrow sometime by 12:00 and we're going to all be meeting at 9:00, and we have a great country, folks. we have a great country. >> a great country. i'd like to welcome in my panel. chief washington reporter boston herald kimberly at kinz. former press secretary for mike pence, mark lauder and deputy editorial page editor and columnist for the washington post ruth marcus. thank you all for being here on this quasi-holiday sunday night. but of course headed into a busy week here in washington. mark lauder, i want to start with you just because you have been behi

says they president trump is zeroing in on these two judges, brett kavanaugh and thomas hardiman. brett kavanaugh is graduate of yale law. but president is not so fond of people working for bush, hardiman did. >> he's sir quit court judge. in my judgment that cares far more weight, far greater weight in terms of supreme court justice than service in the white house. >> reporter: also thomas hardiman. he was first in his family to go to college and drove for taxi company before law school. the next tier of finalists involves barrett, favorite of evangelical and only woman on the short list, and kethledge who works from converted barn in michigan and wrote a book on solitude. >> i don't think any one of these four that tt president is considering should be a cause of concern for any of my colleagues. >> reporter: federalist society helped come up with the president's list of 25 possible justices. with white house lawyer don mcgahn pushed back it's been out sourced. >> hive been a member of the society since law school, still am, so frankly it seems like it's been in sourced. >> repo

but yesterday nbc reported that he narrowed his focus down to two, thomas hardiman and brett kavanaugh. kavanaugh's a former clerk to justice kennedy. justice hardiman was runner-up to justice neil gorsuch in filling the previous high court vacancy last year. i'm joined by connecticut democratic senator chris murphy, robert costa, national political reporter for the "washington post" and an msnbc political analyst. michael steele, former rnc chair and msnbc political analyst. ruth marcus, columnist for the "washington post" and an msnbc contributor. a great -- you're the final four for tonight for us. >> oh, boy. >> senator murphy, is there any way this isn't going to become an enormously political decision by your fellow members of the senate? especially from the red states. >> he decided to make this a momentous political moment by outsourcing the decision to the heritage institute and to the federalist society the day that he basically put these right-wing political organizations in charge of selecting the next supreme court justice, who would basically telegraph that the only peopl

hardiman is very different. hardiman -- brett kavanaugh is yale, yale law school. hardiman is from pennsylvania. he worked for a law firm in pittsburgh. he was a district court judge in pittsburgh. he's been a circuit judge since 2007, which is not as long as kavanaugh and he doesn't have his distinguished or as notable a record as a judge, but he is known as a confident, conservative and someone who served with mary ann barry who the president's sister who is also on the third circuit court of appeals. >> having a longer record, having more documents out there, it gives more ammunition for democrats to go through during the confirmation process. >> that's exactly right. it's sort of the catch 22 for any modern president. you made this point earlier today. it used to be that having a very long list was seen by both sides as a good thing, you have experience, a long career. now days the plus for in this time conservatives is you can see exactly where the nominee is on various issues or at least you have a better idea because of how he or she has ruled. and the negat

judge kavanaugh and judge hardiman are not the same. the other candidates are differenas well. all are able conservatives. we will know who the president picked soon. laura: if we leave abortion out of it, which aa of american life does the supreme court have the most impact on? jeffrey: well, it has an effect on every single aspect of american life. not only issues involving government searches and seizures like cellphone privacy andr whete government can seize data, to questions about the scope of the regulatory state and whether it is permissible te regulate tironment. immigration -- we have been seeing daily headlines about the president's power to act by tiecutive order. more broadly, cotional questions about whether the president can act unilaterally through executive orders or whether he needs congressional consen it is a truism that every political question in america ends up as a judicial question. all of the most tly contested questions in american life and t and up before the supreme court. laura: given what you just said they are, can supreme court justices remain a

the four finalists are believed to be thomas hardiman, amy coney

my guess it it will be thomas hardiman. charles: apparently kavanaugh is the favorite among inside washington gopers. >> kavanaugh is a family man. he coaches his daughter's basketball team. he ran a marathon twice. he would rather have a beer and watch a hockey game than go to a washington thing. charles: the notion that he's the establishment elite candidate -- >> it's fake news, it doesn't belong on fox. charles: ford, a lot riding on this. part of the decision-making process has to be confirmation. it's likely there could be one or two defections. that means we have to get a couple democrats on board. so who is that candidate that threads that needle? >> any one of the four would be a great pick. but no matter who donald trump picks, the democrats will scream this is a threat to america, a threat top reproductive rights, a threat to civil rights. i'm look at brett kavanaugh and thomas hardiman. but what the republicans can do is show how intellectually dishonest they are. they sailed through their confirmation hearing f

says president trump is zeroing in on these two appeals court judges, brett kavanaugh and thomas hardiman. kavanah used to clerk for retiring justice anthonyke edy and a graduate of yale law which the president likes but the president is not fond of peoplthat worked for george w. bush. kavanaugh did along with former white house counsel alberto gonzales. >> he's likely to serve with honor distinction with a d.c. circuit court judge. that carries more weight as a supreme court justice than his service in the white house.ep >>ter: there is also thomas hardiman, the runner up. he was the first in his family to go to e and drove for his father's taxi company before law school. hardimaners on the same court his sister did she's a fan.clear the next finalist includes amy coney barrett, a fan of evangelicals and raymond kethledge, an appeals court judge that works from a converte in michigan and wrote a book on solitude. >> i don't think any e of the four the president is considering now should be a cause for concern for any of my colleagues. >> reporter: the conservative federalist socty helped

hardiman may have an easier time getting confirmed. mcconnell reportedly spoke to president trump in recent days. president also picked hardiman for the supreme court, but ended up going with neil gorsuch instead. he also has the support of president trump's sister, judge marianne trump barry, who served with him in philadelphia. neither barrett nor kethledge seemed to increase their chances after they met with the president. as we said before, mr. trump has not publicly ruled out anyone. one other issue with barrett, her views on abortion could draw opposition from pro-choice republican senators susan collin and lisa murkowski. remember, if all democrats oppose the nominee and john mccain cannot vote, either one of those two women could sink the nomination. that said, several republicans have said the president has an excellent group to choose from. >> republicans are holding four lottery tickets and all of them are winners. every republican should embrace these picks. >> i think they'll all be -- they're good judges. i think they'd b

judge hardiman wasn't mentioned yesterday, and now in the top four.on't think necessarily the white house even knows. so it could have been a slip. we'll have to wait and see. though i know there are a lot of social conservatives would like to see barrett nominated, because they believe they would be a strong vote to overturn roe vs. wade. >> that's why i asked the question, not just a slip, but he's a prominent longtime former chairman of the judiciary committee, dealing with supreme court nominations for a while, somebody who's on the inside of all of this. whether he knows something or not, as you know, amy barrett is somebody who has noted, the pro-life community really wants. you're a big fan of bret cavanaugh, taking fire from conservatives. >> i think of george patton standing in front of the american flag, except with cavanaugh i think of the constitution he's been fighting on the bench on a liberal court, fighting for principles like the second amendment, illegal immigration, and executive power. i think although all of the candidates on pres

hardiman, justice hardiman, the man who paid his way through law school driving a taxi? reporter: he has interesting story of the at one point he was a taxi driver. he already sits at very, very prestigious legal position and could possibly raise that with a nomination to the supreme court. it would be fascinating if he went from tax at this cab driver to supreme court justice. adam: blake, thank you very much. with the senate divided 51-49 president trump's announcement will be incredibly contentious nomination fight as democrats pull all the stops to thwart the effort. chairman of the national association pac, scold bolden, former advisor to george w. bush, brad blakeman. we go from blake burman, to brad blakeman. let me start with you, brad, i was worried about tongue-twister, can democrats stop this if they don't like the nominee? >> no they can't. they made the bed. harry reid changed 9 rules. simple majority is needed. not so simple to get majority even for republicans. the four candidates being spoken of, if that is in fact the pool president is to choose from are

a more moderate pick here if the president were to go with hardiman?lso the runner-up to gorsuch. he has served alongside president trump's sister in pennsylvania. is he the more moderate pick, seeing he doesn't have the paper trail with regards to roe v. wade and that's what the democrats are going to hone in on with this pick? >> he might be perceived that way. it is a narrow band we are talking about. these are all conservative judges who in all likelihood will be conservative justices. in some ways he is a safer choice. he hasn't had as many hot button issues as some of the other people. judge kavanaugh being on the federal appeals court here in washington has had a huge number of regulatory cases that could pose issues, could let democrats portray him as anti-consumer or something like that. judge hardiman has had some second amendment cases, hasn't had to directly deal with abortion. so there might be, you know, while republicans i think would still be confident in the kind of justice he would be, he might be a little harder to oppose. >> greg st

judge barrett, judge kavanaugh, judge hardiman.fter so many days and nights for those boys trapped in a cave, i find myself preoccupied with their mental health. how can people keep it together? a psychologist with expertise weighs in next. ontrol. i need to shave my a1c. weekends are my time. i need an insulin that fits my schedule. ♪ tresiba® ready ♪ (announcer) tresiba® is used to control high blood sugar in adults with diabetes. don't use tresiba® to treat diabetic ketoacidosis, during episodes of low blood sugar, or if you are allergic to any of its ingredients. don't share needles or insulin pens. don't reuse needles. the most common side effect is low blood sugar, which may cause dizziness, sweating, confusion, and headache. check your blood sugar. low blood sugar can be serious and may be life-threatening. injection site reactions may occur. tell your prescriber about all medicines you take and all your medical conditions. taking tzds with insulins, like tresiba®, may cause serious side effects like heart failure. your insu

he suggests that judges, kethledge and hardiman would have the fewest obstacles in the process. there would be fewer on that kls for a democrat if the president were so moved. and now there are five senate democrats and two republicans turning down and invitation to attend the president's announcement. democrats senators joe donnelly, heidei high camp and john manchin, joe johnson, dianne feinstein and republicans lisa murkowski and susan collins. shaim on them. ed henry joining us with the latest. >> this is probably the most conservative court we have seen in generations. >> while liberal liberals frettt the fate of roe v. wade dominated the early headlines about president trump's next supreme court pick, the left is sounding a lot more alarm bells, charging nothing less than the fate of the republic hangs in the balance. >> the issue of how protected the voting rights balance is. how that apply to the redistricting process. there's the issue of how we can control how much billionaires give to candidates. there are a lot of things o on e agenda. >> there's at least some hi pes