type: timeline_event During the 2016 campaign, Donald Trump made a pivotal strategic commitment to outsource Supreme Court nominee selection entirely to the Federalist Society, a move that would fundamentally reshape the federal judiciary. In March 2016, Trump, campaign lawyer Don McGahn, and Federalist Society executive Leonard Leo met at the Jones Day law offices to develop a list of 21 potential Supreme Court nominees.
This unprecedented delegation of judicial selection to a private organization served multiple strategic purposes. It secured crucial support from conservative voters, with 77% reporting Supreme Court appointments as "very important". The Federalist Society's ideological screening ensured that 86% of Trump's judicial appointments were Society members, transforming the composition of federal courts.
Trump's promise bore fruit with the appointments of Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett - all personally vetted by Leo. Interestingly, the relationship has since soured, with Trump recently criticizing Leo and calling him a "sleazebag" who "probably hates America", highlighting the complex dynamics of this judicial capture strategy.