WASHINGTON (AP) -- A White House official says President Donald Trump could announce his pick for the Supreme Court as early as Monday.

Trump originally said the announcement would come on Thursday, but the official says the timeframe could be sped up.

Three federal appeals court judges are said to have emerged as leading candidates: Neil Gorsuch, Thomas Hardiman and William Pryor. The official says the president has also been considering Diane Sykes, one of his early favorites for the high court seat.

Word of a possible earlier announcement came as the White House dealt with fallout from Trump's ban on refugees. As a candidate, Trump often used surprise announcements to shift attention away from negative coverage.

The official was not authorized to discuss the Supreme Court process and insisted on anonymity.

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