President Donald Trump will choose a fast-rising loyalist the next time a vacancy opens up on the Supreme Court, a legal expert predicted Wednesday.
The 80-year-old president promoted White House staff secretary Will Scharf to take over as White House counsel, making him the latest in the line of his personal attorneys to be handed a key role in his second administration, and Demand Justice head Josh Orton suggested "CNN This Morning" that his rise would not stop there.
"I'm predicting that the next time there's a Supreme Court vacancy, and we track this at Demand Justice, that he's going to nominate Will Scharf to be the next Supreme Court justice," Orton said.
Scharf has served as a federal prosecutor and clerked for two federal judges, and he served on Trump's criminal defense team from 2023 to 2025 and worked on his presidential immunity case before the Supreme Court in 2024, and he would become the president's point man on subpoenas and other legal battles if Democrats gain congressional majorities in November.
"He doesn't want someonewho's well-credentialed," Orton said. "Hedoesn't want someone smart. Hewants someone that is loyal tohim, and Will Scharf is loyal to him."
Host Audie Cornish halted Orton, who served as an advisor to former Vice President Kamala Harris, and asked what credentials Trump might cite if he nominated Scharf.
Orton cracked a smile and replied, "Do you think that is a question the president is asking?"
An outburst of laughter erupted among the panel as Orton noted Scharf ran for Missouri Attorney General and lost in the primary.