Trump to appoint Amy Coney Barrett, sources say

Why are the Democrats criticizing Amy Coney Barrett?

2:30

(CNN) -

President Donald Trump intends to elect Amy Coney Barrett as the new Supreme Court justice, according to multiple high-level Republican sources with knowledge of the process.

In conversations with some high-level Republican allies in Washington, the White House indicates that Barrett, a federal appeals judge and Notre Dame law professor, is the intended candidate, multiple sources said.

All sources warned that until announced by the president, there is always a chance that Trump will make a last minute change, but the expectation is that Barrett is the pick.

He is scheduled to make the announcement on Saturday afternoon.

How long does it take to confirm a magistrate in the Supreme Court?

2:33

A more conservative Supreme Court

Barrett, a former law clerk to the late Conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, would tip the balance of power in the court further to the right, possibly ahead of a consequential health care case to be discussed the week after Election Day.

If his confirmation in the Senate is successful before the November election, the appointment would mark Trump's third election to the Supreme Court in a presidential term, cementing a conservative stronghold in court for a generation.

She has been the top pick all week, since Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg died.

She is the only known potential candidate who has met with the president in person, according to two of the sources.

A source said Trump was already familiar with Barrett and met with her because she was one of the main contenders the last time there was a vacancy on the Supreme Court, when the president chose Justice Brett Kavanaugh in his place.

Barrett was seen at her South Bend, Indiana home on Friday.

It is unclear if Barrett had been told that she was the choice.

Often this is done as late as possible to keep the ad secret.

• Justice Amy Coney Barrett Emerges as Trump's Favorite to Replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Supreme Court

"The machinery is in motion," said one of the sources.

In previous appointment announcements, the White House had several plans in case the president makes a last-minute decision to switch to another candidate.

But one source said it would be surprising if there was a change, as the allies are already making inquiries.

The White House declined to comment.

Who is Amy Coney Barrett

“She was the plan from the beginning.

It is the most distinguished and qualified by traditional measures.

She has the strongest support among conservatives who have dedicated their lives to the court.

She will contribute more to the court's jurisprudence for years and decades to come, ”according to a former senior administration official familiar with the process.

Barrett, a 48-year-old mother of seven, was confirmed in 2017 for her current position as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, which covers Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin.

Born in New Orleans in 1972 and receiving a law degree from Notre Dame in 1997, Barrett worked in private practice and then became a law professor, settling at Notre Dame in 2002.

• ANALYSIS |

  The fight for a new judge on the Supreme Court adds a surprising twist to a presidential election in crisis

The favorite on the right

Supporters on the right have backed his possible nomination because of his writings on faith and law.

Religious conservatives were especially outraged at Barrett when, during his 2017 confirmation, Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein of California suggested to him that "dogma lives loudly inside you."

Barrett's supporters believed the judge was being looked down upon for her Catholicism.

The impact of Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death on Court 4:17

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made clear in conversations with Trump and White House attorney Pat Cipollone that the Senate Republican conference would be comfortable with Barrett, two people with knowledge of the events told CNN. conversations earlier this week.

Sen. Todd Young, who hails from the home state of Barrett, Indiana, and who leads the Senate's Republican campaign arm, has also been an advocate, sources said.

The president indicated that he has spoken with multiple candidates, but the White House has been unwilling to say whether other conversations were in person.

Barrett was in the White House on Monday and Tuesday of this week.

She impressed the president and others during initial meetings, two sources told CNN earlier this week.

Joan Biskupic and Maegan Vazquez contributed to this report.

Supreme Court