Report: President Trump finds back channel to Justice Kennedy through his own children

While much of the nation has been focusing on the Supreme Court nomination of Neil Gorsuch, it appears Donald Trump has been laying the groundwork for filling another possible vacancy.

The next judge anticipated to leave the high court is Justice Anthony Kennedy, who may or may not retire in the coming years.

According to Politico, Trump has been making gestures and carving out back channels to Kennedy in an attempt to monitor his future plans and assure him that the administration's replacement pick will be worthy of his legacy.

Supreme Court Justices

One of the conduits between the president and the judge appears to be Trump's own children.

Politico notes, "...Kennedy's son, Justin, knows Donald Trump Jr. through New York real estate circles."

The news outlet also reports, "In February, Ivanka Trump attended oral arguments of the Supreme Court with her daughter. She was a guest of Justice Kennedy."

SEE ALSO: Republican senator predicts next Supreme Court fight will be 'armageddon'

The New York Times notes that efforts to keep tabs on Kennedy have involved capitalizing on professional relationships as well.

According to the publication, Gorsuch once served as a clerk for the judge, and his placement on the Supreme Court could ease Kennedy's mind about the type of individual Trump would choose as his successor.

While it's unclear if such a tactic would actually be persuasive, it does seem the world is going to find out.

CNBC reports that on Thursday, Senate Republicans deployed the 'nuclear option,' which allowed the highly contested Gorsuch nomination to advance to a confirmation vote.