US President Donald Trump said he plans to announce his nominee to replace retiring US Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy on July 9, and that he has narrowed his list of candidates.
ADVERTISEMENTUS President Donald Trump said he has narrowed his list of candidates to replace retiring US Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy.
"I've got it down to about five," Trump told reporters, including two women.
Although he would not identify the candidates by name, he said: "it's a great group of intellectual talent ... they are generally conservative."
Trump said he plans to announce his nominee on July 9. He made the announcement to reporters on a flight from Washington to New Jersey on Friday.
When asked if he would push candidates to say whether they would overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which established a woman's right to abortion - Trump replied: "that's not a question I'll be asking."
Women's rights groups are alarmed over the prospect of a total ban on abortion, as Trump's promised to deliver "pro-life" judges to the Supreme Court during his election campaign.
Justice Kennedy announced his retirement on Wednesday. The 81-year-old is the second-oldest justice on the nine-member US Supreme Court.
However, Kennedy's replacement must win confirmation by the Senate.