Dear John,

Did you see this? Trump just released a new short list of people he’d consider nominating for the next Supreme Court opening, and it’s horrifying. Vocal anti-abortion extremists like Senator Tom Cotton were on it—and Cotton responded to being included by tweeting, “It’s time for Roe v. Wade to go.”

Trump called picking Supreme Court justices “the most important decision an American president can make.” We agree: selecting Supreme Court nominees is one of the most important decisions a president can make—and we can’t let him put another extremist on the court. The National Women’s Law Center has stopped Trump before, and we can do it again—especially with your help. Make an emergency gift right now>>.

Here’s what you need to know about this appalling list of possible Supreme Court justices:

1. This isn’t any normal list. It’s filled to the brim with extremist anti-abortion judges, Trump administration loyalists, and politicians who won’t even try to hide their dismantling of our rights. They’ll do it right in front of our eyes and brag about it on Twitter.
2. This is the future the Trump administration wants. A future where reproductive rights are not just chipped away—they’re eviscerated. A future where protections for workers don’t stand a chance. A future that will make it harder for women and their families to access health care, paid leave, affordable housing, and so much more.
3. This is what Trump’s been building toward for the last four years. His plan has been simple, but devastating: fill as many judicial openings as possible, and fill them with the most extreme judges possible. He’s already appointed nearly a quarter of the entire federal judiciary, including Supreme Court justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch. Now he wants to do more of the same. Senators Tom Cotton and Ted Cruz are two of the most anti-abortion and extreme members of the Senate. Lower court judges Amy Coney Barrett and Sarah Pitlyk, both of whom Trump appointed, have dangerous records. Pitlyk defended an unconstitutional ban on abortion, and Barrett believes the Affordable Care Act’s birth control benefit infringes on religious liberty. These are the people Trump wants to put on the most powerful court in America.

This list is egregious—but we know how to fight it. We’ve been warding off Trump’s attacks on women, LGBTQ people, workers, Black and brown people, and more since the beginning. We’ve had major legal victories fighting to protect equal pay and to stop health care workers from being allowed to put personal beliefs ahead of patient care. And we’re still in the courts right now fighting to defend access to birth control and Title IX.

We’re prepared to take on any challenge that comes our way (seriously, you should *see* our planning documents), but it’s the support from people like you that powers our work. Your donations make sure we have the resources to go all-out to prevent dangerous judges from taking the bench, keep fighting in the courts to defend our rights, and protect the most vulnerable in our communities. If you can, please help with a gift today.

We know that just as picking a Supreme Court justice is one of the most important decisions an American president can make, choosing which organizations to invest in is one of the most important decisions you can make. Thank you for believing in the work we do. Together we are fighting for a better future for all of us, and we’re so grateful to have you with us.

Sincerely,
Theresa Lau
(she/her/hers)
Senior Counsel, Judges & Courts
National Women's Law Center