President Trump has interviewed a woman of color to replace Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh on the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., according to a report.
Neomi Rao, who is an administrator of one of the Office of Management and Budget’s sub-agencies, was recommended for the judgeship on the D.C. Circuit by former White House counsel Don McGahn, Axios reported Sunday.
Sources told the outlet Trump was interested in Rao so he could appoint a minority woman to Kavanaugh’s old job. Rao is of Indian descent.
While one source said Rao did not leave Trump with a good first impression, another said the president had not ruled her out of contention.
The White House did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner‘s request for comment.
Rao, a former clerk for conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, was confirmed by the Senate with a 54-41 vote in July 2017 to head the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. The agency reviews executive branch regulations, a task the D.C. Circuit often addresses.
Kavanaugh’s confirmation process was marred by sexual misconduct allegations, which he vehemently denied. He was confirmed by the Senate and sworn in earlier this month to become the nation’s 114th Supreme Court justice.
