Trump's SCOTUS Announcement Goes Prime Time

Donald Trump is returning to prime time. The president on Monday morning announced via Twitter that he'd be naming his pick for the Supreme Court live on TV. The 8pm Tuesday announcement speeds up the original plan, which the New York Times reports had Antonin Scalia's replacement being named Thursday. The Times bets on one of these three federal appeals judges: Neil Gorsuch, Thomas Hardiman, and William Pryor (the links take you to SCOTUSblog profiles of each).

Business Insider puts its money on the 51-year-old Hardiman, and gives three reasons why: A 95-0 vote got him onto the 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals, with both Chuck Schumer and Dianne Feinstein giving him the green light; Maryanne Trump Barry (that would be the president's sister) is a fan of him; and he's "down-to-earth." But the Hill notes Trump suggested he would go with "very much in the mold of" Justice Scalia, and "Neil Gorsuch is about as close as it gets." It outlines why here. (More US Supreme Court stories.)