President Trump Just Confirmed: “It Will Be a Woman”

CNN had more details on the news:

President Donald Trump said Saturday evening that he will choose a candidate to fill the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Supreme Court seat next week and his candidate will be a woman.

"I will be putting forth a nominee next week. It will be a woman," Trump said during a rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Trump told rallygoers that Ginsburg's "landmark rulings, fierce devotion to justice and her courageous battle against cancer inspire all Americans," offering prayers to the justice's family.

The President also noted her friendship with the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, saying it's "a powerful reminder we can disagree on fundamental issues, while treating each other with decency, dignity and respect."

He also discussed how he has the power to fill her vacant seat.

"So, Article 2 of the Constitution says that the President shall nominate justices of the Supreme Court. I don't think it can be any more clear, can it?" Trump asked, prompting chants of "Fill that seat!" from the rally crowd.

The President told reporters earlier Saturday there about 45 people on his list, but he does have a "short list" for potential nominees.

A source told CNN that Trump specifically has said he would "love to pick" federal appeals Judge Amy Coney Barrett, who is a favorite among religious conservatives, but doubts he'll secure support from the US Senate. Barrett is among Trump's list of 20 potential conservative nominees he released earlier this month in an attempt to galvanize his base.

"We want to respect the process, and the process will move, I think it is going to move very quickly actually. I agree with the statement put out by Mitch McConnell. I agree with it actually 100%. I put out a very similar statement you saw, so I think we're going to start the process extremely soon, and we'll have a nominee very soon," Trump told reporters before departing the White House on Saturday.

On Friday night the Senate Majority Leader said in a statement just hours after Ginsburg passed away that, "President Trump's nominee will receive a vote on the floor of the United States Senate."

"I think the choice will be next week, I do," Trump later added.

Trump and McConnell spoke by phone Friday, a source familiar later confirmed to CNN on Saturday. Trump raised the names of Barrett and Barbara Lagoa as potential nominees during his call with McConnell, according to two people familiar with the conversation. Trump raised them unsolicited and McConnell didn't weigh in on either or talk about his personal preferences, the sources said.

Lagoa has the backing of many evangelicals while Trump lawyer Pat Cipillone has shown support for Barrett.

The White House wants to announce Trump's nominee to fill Ginsburg's vacant seat before the first presidential debate less than two weeks away, a Trump adviser close to the process told CNN earlier Saturday. Trump's first face off with Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is scheduled for September 29.

According to a source familiar with the internal conversations, naming an announcement is dependent on when Ginsburg is buried. Allies have raised concern about naming a replacement before she has had a proper burial, two sources told CNN.