President Donald Trump has a vetting list of potential Supreme Court nominees at the ready, according to White House officials, following a since-retracted report this week that sparked widespread speculation about a possible vacancy on the high court.

The erroneous report, which originated from NPR on Tuesday, claimed that Justice Samuel Alito was planning to retire after the Supreme Court issued its final opinions for the current term. NPR retracted the story within minutes and later issued an apology. However, the brief flurry of speculation was enough to shine a spotlight on the administration’s preparations for any future opening on the bench.

Current and former administration officials told the Washington Examiner that Trump already maintains a vetted list of potential nominees, though the president is not actively narrowing it because no vacancy currently exists. “There is a list that exists,” one former senior Trump White House official told the outlet. “A lot of these people who would be picked are already people who, in a sense, are vetted”. Another former administration official noted that most prospective nominees are federal appeals court judges, which would allow the White House to move quickly if needed.

A White House official declined to discuss specific candidates but emphasized the administration’s readiness. “While we wouldn’t speculate on any potential judicial vacancies at any level, the president is always prepared to nominate highly qualified judges who will uphold the Constitution and the rule of law,” the official told the Examiner.

In an interview Tuesday with Breitbart, Trump said he is prepared should Alito or another justice eventually leave the bench. “If you listen to people, there are three potential vacancies for various reasons, so I’m certainly prepared,” Trump said. “There are a lot of great people out there who would like to have that position”.

Trump praised Alito, who was appointed by George W. Bush in 2005, calling himself the justice’s “single biggest fan”. “He’s fantastic. He’s one of the most incredible people that I’ve ever met,” Trump said. “He’s brilliant. He’s so solid and so respected”.

While Trump acknowledged that appointing a younger conservative justice who could serve for decades is appealing, he said replacing Alito would be no easy task. “I’d love to pick a younger version of him, but there is no younger version of him,” Trump said. “There’s nobody that is going to be able to do what he does and do it so well”.

The Examiner reported that some political observers have questioned whether confirming a Supreme Court nominee could become more difficult if Republicans lose Senate seats after the 2026 midterm elections. However, former Trump officials expressed confidence that Republican senators would unite behind any qualified constitutionalist nominated by the president.

Trump appointed Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett during his first term, helping cement the Supreme Court’s conservative majority.