White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Thursday that Biden could start speaking directly to potential nominees “as soon as this week.”
“The thing that I can confirm is that, and as you’ve heard me say before and if you heard Jen say before, is that we are — he is going to have a selection by the end of this month,” Jean-Pierre stated on Air Force One, referring to press secretary Jen Psaki.
When reporters questioned whether that meant Biden had not yet conducted any interviews, Jean-Pierre demurred. Reporters followed up, pointing out she was able to tell the press corps on Monday that he did not speak to any possible nominees last weekend from Camp David.
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“So has he just not been working for four days, or what’s going on?” a reporter asked.
“I just don’t have anything to share or to confirm or not confirm on this,” Jean-Pierre retorted.
Psaki was adamant this week that the White House would not provide “day by day” updates on Biden’s Supreme Court nominee search after he disclosed last week that his shortlist has been whittled down to “about four” Black women.
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“The President is not interested in public groping, or in lobbying campaigns, or efforts to trash other candidates,” she stated. “He is going to keep his blinders on, look at the qualifications, the cases, the backgrounds, the credentials of these eminently qualified nominees.”
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Looming over all the public and private outreach is a growing fear in Democratic ranks that Biden will take too long to settle on a name. The President has said he is vetting contenders for the post. He has also said he will be meeting with them for interviews. And he has given himself until the end of February to name a candidate.
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That window is historically small for naming a Supreme Court nominee. But Biden is known for blowing deadlines. And, already, there is concern among Democrats preparing for the coming nomination fight that the President’s current timeframe is leaving nominees unnecessarily exposed to attacks. “Is it a concern?” said one such operative. “Of course it is.”
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President Biden was in Ohio Thursday to tout the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law. The White House announced on Thursday that a $1 billion investment in Great Lakes region clean-up and restoration projects in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency.