Judge Thomas Hardiman, a top contender for President Donald Trump's Supreme Court pick, has the support of a prominent co-worker: Trump's sister, Judge Maryanne Trump Barry, according to Politico.
Hardiman and Barry serve together on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, and Barry has spoken to her brother in support of Hardiman.
"Maryanne is high on Hardiman," said one advisor, who has discussed the matter with the president, according to Politico.
Tenth Circuit Judge Neil Gorsuch and Hardiman appear to be front-runners for the vacant Supreme Court seat. The president said he would announce his choice on Feb. 2.
Barry, age 79, was first appointed by Ronald Reagan to a federal district court, then President Bill Clinton promoted her to appeals court in 1999. Trump biographer Gwenda Blair compared Barry to her brother, saying Barry had "very solid, feet on the ground—nothing like him."
Trump takes "great pride" in Barry's judgeship, the biographer added.
One Trump adviser told Politico that Hardiman is not a front-runner only because of Barry's support. Leonard Leo, who has advised Trump on his pick for the court, said that Hardiman is "an extraordinarily talented and smart jurist."
Hardiman gained support from gun-rights advocates in 2013 when he dissented over handgun permits.
The judge's background may appeal to the president. Reports have said he is the first in his family to go to college and drove a taxicab to pay his way. "He loves a gripping personal story," a person involved in Trump's selection told Politico.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has promised that he would block any Supreme Court nomination from Trump that he did not like; he voted to confirm Hardiman in his elevation to appeals court.
The president had said in an interview that Barry herself would make a good pick for his Supreme Court justice, but he later said that he was joking. "I would say, total conflict of interest as far as my sister," Trump said in February 2016, according to The New York Times.
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