President Donald Trump on Tuesday insisted that he would “absolutely” fill a Supreme Court vacancy in the last five months of his term.

During a discussion with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, the president insisted that he would go through with a Supreme Court nomination even though former President Barack Obama was not allowed to fill one at the end of his presidency.

“Absolutely, I’d do it,” Trump replied. “You know, I don’t know what you’re talking about, time, but if you’re talking about if something would happen now, no, I would move quickly.”

“If there is a vacancy this year or early next year or anytime in your second term, do you have a choice already in mind to nominate?” Hewitt wondered.

“I do,” Trump admitted without divulging a name. “I have somebody that I think would be excellent. I do.”

Trump also mused about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on his bid for another term.

“I think it’s another reason we should win,” he said. “And we’re doing very well. I don’t know if you’ve seen, the polls have been going up like a rocket ship.”

“Hey, I was, George Washington would have had a hard time beating me before the plague came in, before the China plague,” he added.

Enjoy good journalism?

… then let us make a small request. The COVID crisis has cut advertising rates in half, and we need your help. Like you, we here at Raw Story believe in the power of progressive journalism. Raw Story readers power David Cay Johnston’s DCReport, which we've expanded to keep watch in Washington. We’ve exposed billionaire tax evasion and uncovered White House efforts to poison our water. We’ve revealed financial scams that prey on veterans, and legal efforts to harm workers exploited by abusive bosses. And unlike other news outlets, we’ve decided to make our original content free. But we need your support to do what we do.

Raw Story is independent. Unhinged from corporate overlords, we fight to ensure no one is forgotten.

We need your support in this difficult time. Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Invest with us. Make a one-time contribution to Raw Story Investigates, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you. Click to donate by check.

Value Raw Story?

… then let us make a small request. The COVID crisis has cut advertising rates in half, and we need your help. Like you, we believe in the power of progressive journalism — and we’re investing in investigative reporting as other publications give it the ax. Raw Story readers power David Cay Johnston’s DCReport, which we've expanded to keep watch in Washington. We’ve exposed billionaire tax evasion and uncovered White House efforts to poison our water. We’ve revealed financial scams that prey on veterans, and efforts to harm workers exploited by abusive bosses. We need your support to do what we do.

Raw Story is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Invest with us in the future. Make a one-time contribution to Raw Story Investigates, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you.