Am I the only one disappointed that former Prez Trump has not a new short list of possible Supreme Court nominees?

In this post a month ago, I asked “Is former Prez Trump going to release a new short list of possible Supreme Court nominees?”.  In that post, I noted that Trump’s clever and consequential decision in May 2016 to release a “short list” of people he would consider as potential Supreme Court appointments made for great blog fodder for court watchers.  I also noted that in mid-August 2024, Trump told a CBS reporter that he would release a new SCOTUS shortlist of possible nominees in September 2024.  But here we now are days before the election, and no short list.

I have seen a few recent press pieces about the election and the Supreme Court’s future, but none of these pieces makes mention of the fact that 2024 is the first Trump presidential campaign without a short list:

From CNN, “There’s no such thing as a guaranteed Supreme Court vacancy“

From New York Magazine, “How the 2024 Election Will Reshape the Supreme Court“

From the New York Times, “This Election Is Also a Choice Between Two Visions of the Federal Courts“

I am inclined to guess that Trump’s team has figured out that it would not be especially useful to generate media buzz about Trump’s possible plans (and even potential eagerness) to replace the oldest Supreme Court Justices, who are Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.  Still, for those of use who like to speculate about SCOTUS matters, the lack of a list is a small bummer.  And, of course, if Trump returns to the White House, I suspect that there will be any number of folks who will be eager to encourage Justices Thomas and Alito to make room for more Trump SCOTUS appointees.