Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
The White House is reportedly preparing for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s “possible death or departure” from the Supreme Court in the wake of her surgery that removed two cancerous growths, Politico reports. The outreach to allies and conservative activist groups reportedly began after Justice Ginsburg was absent from the court’s Monday oral arguments. A source told the website the White House was “taking the temperature on possible short-list candidates, reaching out to key stakeholders, and just making sure that people are informed on the process” in the event Ginsburg does leave the court. “They’re doing it very quietly, of course, because the idea is not to be opportunistic, but just to be prepared so we aren’t caught flat-footed,” the source said. In late December, Justice Ginsburg announced she was recovering from a surgery that removed two growths from her lungs. If she were to leave, President Trump would reportedly have the opportunity to secure the largest Supreme Court conservative majority in decades.