Indian American federal appeals court judge Amul Thapar has emerged as a “serious” contender for a spot in the US Supreme court and has been interviewed for the position by President Donald Trump, according media reports.
Justice Kennedy, 81, announced his retirement from the US Supreme Court last week. He met Trump at the White House soon after he told his colleagues in the Supreme Court that July 31 would be his last day at the apex court.
Amul Thapar was one of four judges interviewed for the position on the nation’s highest court by Trump on Monday, according to a media outlets that quoted unnamed sources who had been briefed about the meetings. Trump’s Spokesperson Sarah Sanders confirmed that he met for 45 minutes with four candidates, but would not identify them.
Thapar has the backing of Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader. “I think he’s absolutely brilliant, with the right temperament,” he told reporters over the weekend.
Trump’s meeting yesterday with Thapar, who lives and works in McConnell’s home state of Kentucky, was described by several White House aides as both a gesture of respect for the Senate GOP leader and evidence that he is in “serious” contention, the report added.
Trump has said he would announce his pick next Monday.
The son of Indian-American immigrants, Thapar is the Nation’s first Article III judge of South Asian descent. He was confirmed by the Senate 52-44. A media agency said yesterday that Thapar would be good for the apex court and good for the Republicans.
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