Updated at 5:15 p.m. ET
President Trump said on Monday that he plans to announce his nominee for the Supreme Court vacancy left by the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the end of this week.
"I think it will be on Friday or Saturday, and we want to pay respect," Trump said in an interview on Fox & Friends. "It looks like we will have probably services on Thursday or Friday, as I understand it, and I think in all due respect we should wait until the services are over for Justice Ginsburg."
Trump said later Monday he would probably announce the decision on Saturday.
"And we'll make a decision probably Saturday, but Friday or Saturday," he told reporters before departing for Ohio.
While repeatedly proclaiming his respect for Ginsburg, Trump dismissed her final statement — her wish not to be replaced until a new president is installed — saying it sounded like it "came out of the wind" and suggesting with no evidence that a Democratic opponent could have made it up.
"I don't know that she said that, or was that written out by Adam Schiff and Schumer and Pelosi?" Trump said, referring to Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. "I would be more inclined to the second, OK, you know? That came out of the wind. It sounds so beautiful, but that sounds like a Schumer deal, or maybe a Pelosi or Shifty Schiff."
Trump said he is looking at five potential nominees.
"Most of them [the potential nominees] are young, and they've gone through the [nomination] process very recently," Trump said, arguing that the process could move rapidly through the Senate. He noted that one person he is considering for the vacancy is 38 years old and could be on the court for 50 years. NPR has previously reported that Allison Jones Rushing, who is on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, is being considered. She is 38.
He also praised Judge Barbara Lagoa, who is from Florida, a key swing state in the presidential election. Lagoa is on the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. "She's excellent. She's Hispanic. She's a terrific woman from everything I know. I don't know her. Florida, we love Florida. So she's got a lot of things, very smart."
Trump thought the naming of a nominee could help Republicans retain the Senate in November, including the reelection of Republican Sen. Cory Gardner, who's in a tight contest in Colorado.
But he also said the comments by Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, could hurt their chances. Both indicated the Senate should not act on a replacement for Ginsburg until after the presidential election.
"I think Susan Collins is very badly hurt by her statement yesterday," Trump said.
And he said Murkowski's comments "will follow her." Murkowski is not up for reelection for two years.
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