“It’s going to be extremely non-controversial,” Trump jokes about his nomination of Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court.
Greetings from the Rose Garden, where President Donald Trump will soon announce his nominee for the Supreme Court.
Festive atmosphere. American flags hang along the colonnade and the PA system plays patriotic music.
It’s about 72 degrees, with somewhat high humidity; cloudy, but it looks the rain will hold off.
Looks like about 150-200 people filling up chairs set up in the newly remodeled Rose Garden. Pool is the back at the TV riser, and has not seen any political celebrities as of yet.
Televised remarks are scheduled to start at 5 p.m.
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President Trump began speaking at 5:04 p.m. and praised nominee Amy Coney Barrett for 10 minutes.
Barrett then spoke from 5:14 p.m. to 5:22 p.m.
Trump ended the program at 5:23 p.m. with “Congratulations, Amy.”
Afterward, Trump and Barrett walked down the colonnade toward the residence, followed by the nominee’s children.
Barrett’s comments included a discussion of the personal friendship between Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her mentor, Justice Antonin Scalia. Members of Scalia’s family attended the ceremony.
The crowd of about 150 people stood and cheered when Trump announced Barrett’s name.
A military band entertained the crowd shortly before the event, including “Hail To The Chief” when Trump and Barrett entered the Rose Garden.
Many Republican senators came in right before the program, including Tillis, Hawley, Fischer, and Sasse. Trump asked the senators for quick and respectful hearings and joked with Barrett about the disputes surrounding her nomination.
“It’s going to be extremely non-controversial,” Trump joked.
Note: The White House arrayed a line of state flags along the southern edge of the Rose Garden
Also spotted in the crowd: Bill Barr, Laura Ingraham, Kellyanne Conway, Corey Lewandowski, David Bossie, and Matt and Mercedes Schlapp.
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Some of our colleagues caught up with White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows after the Barrett nomination event. (Many thanks to Seung Min Kim of The Washington Post.)
Asked about confirmation, Meadows said: “That’ll be up to the senators.”
Someone noted that Trump talked a lot about Barrett’s family.
Meadows: “I think that’s a good thing, don’t you? … it speaks volumes as a working mom to be able to, uh, be a good role model.”
Are you confident she will be confirmed before Election Day?
Meadows initially said “I’m not confident,” but then backed up and said: “That would be a discussion for the senators. I would believe that they’re going to try to move through the process and review her credentials in an expeditious manner. And if they do that, based on the resume that I’ve seen, hopefully, she would get confirmed before the first of November.”
Do you have the votes?
Meadows: “I’m not counting the votes.”