WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump on Tuesday morning said that he will name his Supreme Court pick on Saturday at 5 p.m. ET. 

What You Need To Know

  • Trump Tweeted that he plans to name his Supreme Court pick Saturday

  • He told Fox News he's narrowed his list to four or five candidates to replace the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg

  • Democrats say Republicans shouldn't fill the seat so close to the election after blocking Obama's pick in 2016

  • Trump said "we have an obligation to do what's right and act as quickly as possible"

He tweeted his updated timeline Tuesday after saying Monday that the announcement will come either Friday or Saturday. He informed reporters about the specific time later on Tuesday.

In a Monday interview with “Fox & Friends,” Trump said he narrowed down his list to four or five candidates to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died Friday after battling metastatic pancreatic cancer. 

"I think it'll be on Friday or Saturday and we want to pay respect,” the president said. “It looks like we will have probably services on Thursday or Friday, as I understand it. And I think the respect we should wait for the services to be over for Justice Ginsburg. So we're looking at probably Friday or maybe Saturday.”

Trump’s timeline contradicted the one White House Secretary Kayleigh McEnany gave “CBS This Morning” earlier Monday. She said it was “very likely” the president would name his choice as soon as Tuesday.

The president said over the weekend that he will likely nominate a woman to replace Ginsburg. According to multiple reports, frontrunners are believed to be Amy Coney Barrett and Barbara Lagoa, both of whom are federal appeals court judges. 

Republicans are facing a barrage of criticism for trying to fill the seat so close to the election. After the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February 2016, they successfully blocked then-President Barack Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland, arguing that the president the voters chose in the upcoming election should make the pick. 

Trump reiterated Monday that he believes he is obligated to appoint Ginsburg’s replacement. 

“The bottom line is we won the election, we have an obligation to do what’s right and act as quickly as possible,” he said.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said he will bring Trump’s nomination to the floor for a confirmation vote, and many Republicans have already voiced their approval in moving forward with the process. 

However, two GOP senators — Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — have said they don’t support voting on a nominee so close to the election. If two more Republicans break ranks, the party might not have the votes it needs. 

Early Tuesday, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) said that he would support a vote for Trump's nominee, all but clinching the confirmation for Trump's Supreme Court nominee.