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The Memo: Trump faces crucial stretch | TheHill

posted onJuly 5, 2018
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Article snippet: MORE faces one of the most intense stretches of his White House tenure after the brief respite offered by the Fourth of July holiday. Trump has promised to name his Supreme Court nominee on Monday. He will attend a NATO summit in Brussels on July 11 and 12. From there, he will visit the United Kingdom and then go to Helsinki for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Still, there are opportunities for Trump as well as dangers — especially when it comes to the Supreme Court nomination, which seems virtually guaranteed to please his base. “There is no question that filling the Supreme Court vacancy has huge political ramifications — for the midterms, for the base, for the country,” said GOP strategist Matt Mackowiak. “But perhaps the greatest element is that it is a golden opportunity for him to deliver on promises he has made.” Dating back to the 2016 campaign, the issue of the Supreme Court has been imperative for conservatives, many of whom pointed to it as a reason to vote for Trump despite unease with his colorful personal life and often belligerent language. They got their first taste of vindication when Neil Gorsuch was confirmed to the court less than three months after Trump’s inauguration.  But a second Trump justice would shift the court decisively to the right, since he or she will be replacing Justice Anthony Kennedy, the de facto swing vote on the nine-person bench. Trump has been talking to potential candidates for the nomination but beyond... Link to the full article to read more

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