Are they plotting Ruth Bader Ginsberg's replacement? Trump plays golf with Lindsey Graham on his private Virginia course after he criticized for the Republican senator for his recent Supreme Court loses

President Donald Trump enjoyed a round of golf with Republican Senator Lindsey Graham at his Virginia golf club Saturday as he continued plans to push through a Supreme Court nominee should a vacancy occur before election day.
Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have made it clear that given the chance, they will aim to secure another Supreme Court nomination before November. 
The issue has taken on new immediacy with the disclosure Friday that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is receiving chemotherapy for a recurrence of cancer after four earlier bouts with the disease. 
The 87-year-old liberal, who apologized in 2016 for her pointed public criticism of Trump during his first campaign, says she has no plans to retire. 
President Donald Trump alongside Republican Senator from South Carolina Lindsey Graham play golf at the Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, on Saturday
President Donald Trump alongside Republican Senator from South Carolina Lindsey Graham play golf at the Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, on Saturday 
Graham, pictured left with the president on Saturday, is among the leading Republicans who believe that it would be ok for Trump to push through a further Supreme Court nominee
Graham, pictured left with the president on Saturday, is among the leading Republicans who believe that it would be ok for Trump to push through a further Supreme Court nominee 
It comes as Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg announced Friday that she is receiving chemotherapy for a recurrence of cancer after four earlier bouts with the disease
It comes as Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg announced Friday that she is receiving chemotherapy for a recurrence of cancer after four earlier bouts with the disease
The president traveled to Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, as the weekend began to play a round with the South Carolina senator. 
It came a week after Trump had taken a swipe at Graham over two Supreme Court decisions involving his closely held financial records.  
Graham, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, was called out by Trump for not doing enough to investigate former President Barack Obama. 

The president said Obama was not receiving enough scrutiny over his administration’s decision to open up a counterintelligence investigation into alleged ties between the Trump campaign and the Russian government in 2016. 
'No Republican Senate Judiciary response,' Trump wrote, referencing Graham's committee. 
It has now emerged that Trump aims to ensure he suffers no more similar Supreme Court losses by pushing in a conservative judge if he is given the chance as a result of Ginsberg's illness.   
The development has focused even more on what's at stake this election, with the winner in position to help shape the trajectory of the court for years to come.
Trump and Graham played a round a golf Saturday despite the president criticizing the South Carolina senator just last week following two Supreme Court losses
Trump and Graham played a round a golf Saturday despite the president criticizing the South Carolina senator just last week following two Supreme Court losses 
Trump, pictured Saturday with Graham, is said to be lining up a list of names that could fill a potential vacancy on the Supreme Court before the end of his term
Trump, pictured Saturday with Graham, is said to be lining up a list of names that could fill a potential vacancy on the Supreme Court before the end of his term 
Senator Lindsey Graham, pictured center during a round of golf Saturday with Trump, is chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and was criticized by the president last week
Senator Lindsey Graham, pictured center during a round of golf Saturday with Trump, is chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and was criticized by the president last week
Trump administration officials have underscored that Trump would not hesitate to fill an opening before voters have their say on November 3, less than four months away, on whether to give him a second term.
And Graham is now among the leading Republicans who say it's OK to consider an election-year appointment when the Senate and the White House are held by the same party. 
Four years ago, also in a presidential election year, the GOP-controlled Senate refused to vote when Obama, a Democrat, nominated Merrick Garland, a federal judge, to succeed Justice Antonin Scalia after his death in February. 
Nine months before that year's election, McConnell said voters should determine who would nominate the person to fill that seat.
Yet, leading Republicans have now changed their approach as the prospect of a loss in November approaches and Trump is expected to act quickly if a vacancy emerges. 
Liberal Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is battling caner again
Liberal Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is battling caner again
Trump's chief of staff, Mark Meadows, told reporters: 'I can't imagine that if he had a vacancy on the Supreme Court that he would not very quickly make the appointment and look for the Senate to take quick action.'
Meadows spoke shortly after the court said Ginsburg was briefly hospitalized this week, but before the justice announced she had a recurrence of cancer and has been treated with chemotherapy since May 19.
Ginsburg is the oldest justice, followed by Stephen Breyer, 81, Clarence Thomas, 72, and Samuel Alito, 70.
Trump sees his efforts at reshaping the judiciary as a signature achievement of his presidency. 
 Earlier in his term, he won confirmation of Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.
And last month he marked his 200th judicial appointment. 
The president has sought to remind fellow Republicans that should he win a second term, he would have the chance to push the Supreme Court and lower courts further to the right.
Last month, after the court rejected his administration´s attempt to end an Obama-era program that provided legal protections to roughly 650,000 immigrants illegally brought to the United States as children, Trump said more needed to be done to push the court to the right.
He said he would release a 'new list of Conservative Supreme Court Justice nominees' by September 1. 
'Based on decisions being rendered now, this list is more important than ever before (Second Amendment, Right to Life, Religous Liberty, etc.) - VOTE 2020!' he tweeted.
Last month, Trump said he would release a 'new list of Conservative Supreme Court Justice nominees' by September 1 as he aims to push the court further to the right
Last month, Trump said he would release a 'new list of Conservative Supreme Court Justice nominees' by September 1 as he aims to push the court further to the right
The justices of the U.S. Supreme Court. Seated from left: Associate Justice Stephen Breyer, Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice of the United States John G. Roberts, Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Associate Justice Samuel Alito Jr. Standing behind from left: Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch, Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice Elena Kagan and Associate Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh
The justices of the U.S. Supreme Court. Seated from left: Associate Justice Stephen Breyer, Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice of the United States John G. Roberts, Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Associate Justice Samuel Alito Jr. Standing behind from left: Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch, Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice Elena Kagan and Associate Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh
At 87, Justice Ginsburg is the oldest member of the court. Her next oldest colleagues are 81-year-old Stephen Breyer, 72-year-old Clarence Thomas and 70-year-old Samuel Alito
At 87, Justice Ginsburg is the oldest member of the court. Her next oldest colleagues are 81-year-old Stephen Breyer, 72-year-old Clarence Thomas and 70-year-old Samuel Alito
Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond law school professor, said Republicans 'have shown no consistency' between their refusal to give Garland a hearing and their insistence it would be proper to move forward on a vacancy during the waning days of a potentially lame-duck presidency.
Tobias said Trump and Republicans are calculating that playing up their commitment to adding another conservative justice is such an attractive pitch to base voters that it's worth risking being labeled hypocrites by their opponents.
McConnell was even more blunt about the move to push through a further nomination. 
'Yeah, we´d fill it,' he said in a February interview.
At least one key Republican has expressed reservations.
In 2018, Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley said that if he were still the committee chairman in 2020 and there were a Supreme Court vacancy, he would not take up the nomination. 
But Grassley, who now heads the Senate Finance Committee, said if there were a different chairman that person would have to make the call.
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who is facing reelection, told Iowa's PBS station on Friday that she would support taking up a Trump nominee in November or December after the 2020 election and before the start of the next Senate session.  
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