Trump promises Justice Kennedy replacement to be 'Home Run'

United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday (local time) stated that his selection for the replacement for retiring Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy will be a 'Home Run'.

Addressing a gathering at the "Salute to Service" event in West Virginia, Trump said the decision taken on Justice Kennedy's replacement would be a "great one".

"I've spent the last three days interviewing and thinking about Supreme Court justices. Such an important decision and we're going to give you a great one. These are very talented people, brilliant people, and I think you're going to really love it. Like Justice Gorsuch. We hit a home run there, and we're going to hit a home run here," The Hill quoted Trump, as saying.

Earlier, Trump interviewed three potential replacements for Justice Kennedy, a White House statement revealed.

This came a day after four potential nominees had been interviewed by the US President in the run-up to the announcement on July 9.

Trump had earlier stated that his list of potential nominees, which originally had 25 names, had been narrowed down to five, including two women.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders stated that a group of attorneys will help White House Counsel Don McGahn scrutinise nominees for the position.

Justice Kennedy, who served in the US Supreme Court for 30 years, has held the key swing vote on high-profile matters such as abortion, same-sex marriage, and capital punishment.

The 81-year-old justice was appointed in 1988 by then-president Ronald Reagan.