President Donald Trump reportedly has a list of potential Supreme Court nominees "who will uphold the Constitution and the rule of law," according to a White House official.
White House officials emphasized the president is prepared to fill any future vacancy on the nation's highest court after a false report this week claiming Justice Samuel Alito was retiring sparked speculation in Washington.
Current and former administration officials told the Washington Examiner that Trump already has a vetted list of potential nominees but is not actively narrowing it because no vacancy currently exists.
"There is a list that exists," one former senior Trump White House official told the outlet. "A lot of these people who would be picked are already people who, in a sense, are vetted."
Another former administration official said most prospective nominees are federal appeals court judges, allowing the White House to move quickly if needed.
A White House official declined to discuss specific candidates but stressed the administration's readiness.
"While we wouldn't speculate on any potential judicial vacancies at any level, the president is always prepared to nominate highly qualified judges who will uphold the Constitution and the rule of law," the official told the Examiner.
The speculation followed an erroneous NPR report Tuesday that Alito planned to retire after the Supreme Court issued its final opinions for the term. The report was retracted within minutes, and NPR later apologized.
In an interview Tuesday with Breitbart, Trump said he is prepared should Alito or another justice eventually leave the bench.
"If you listen to people, there are three potential vacancies for various reasons, so I'm certainly prepared," Trump said. "There are a lot of great people out there who would like to have that position."
Trump praised Alito, who was appointed by George W. Bush in 2005, calling himself the justice's "single biggest fan."
"He's fantastic. He's one of the most incredible people that I've ever met," Trump said. "He's brilliant. He's so solid and so respected."
While Trump acknowledged that appointing a younger conservative justice who could serve for decades is appealing, he said replacing Alito would be no easy task.
"I'd love to pick a younger version of him, but there is no younger version of him," Trump said. "There's nobody that is going to be able to do what he does and do it so well."
The Examiner reported that some political observers have questioned whether confirming a Supreme Court nominee could become more difficult if Republicans lose Senate seats after the 2026 midterm elections.
However, former Trump officials expressed confidence that Republican senators would unite behind any qualified constitutionalist nominated by the president.
Trump appointed Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett during his first term, helping cement the Supreme Court's conservative majority.