It’s an alluring prospect Trump believes could galvanize both his loyal base but also provide an opportunity to improve his standing among those voters whose support he is now hemorrhaging, people familiar with Trump’s thinking said.

That includes women, who Trump believes might be swayed if he nominates a female justice. Trump’s backing among women has waned as he adopts a hardline stance on racial matters and largely ignores the coronavirus pandemic. Trump has also suggested older voters might appreciate efforts to solidify the court’s conservative leaning for another generation, believing that group is focused on the court as an election issue.

The President has long cast a potential third Supreme Court nomination as rationale for his reelection. But as the court’s term ends, Trump has begun musing at how a more immediate vacancy may help improve his weakened political standing in the months before November’s election.