President Biden gave an update Thursday on how his search for the next Supreme Court justice is going, saying he has thoroughly reviewed about four "incredibly well qualified and documented" candidates.
The person he chooses will fill retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer's seat on the court. Biden, who has said he will nominate the first Black woman to the Supreme Court, told NBC's Lester Holt that he is doing a "deep dive" on all potential nominees, so there won't be any surprises when background checks are conducted.
The candidates "were the honor students," Biden said. "They come from the best universities. They have experience, some on the bench, some in the practice of law."
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Biden is talking to Democrats and Republicans alike about the candidates, and has already spoken with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
"I think whomever I pick will get a vote from the Republican side for the following reason — I'm not looking to make an ideological choice here," Biden told Holt. "I'm looking for someone who can replace Judge Breyer, with the same kind of capacity Judge Breyer had. With an open mind, who understands the Constitution, interprets it in a way that is consistent with the mainstream interpretation of the Constitution."
The White House has confirmed that one of the candidates being considered for the bench is Judge J. Michelle Childs, a federal judge in South Carolina who is the favorite of Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), Politico reports.
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