Given the layout of the races of the 1/3 seats up for grabs this November, Republicans will likely end up with more seats.

There's also the political angle to label Democrat Senators in red states (ex: Manchin in WV) as obstructionists prior to this years elections.

A bit comical/ironic to say they'd be targeted for obstructionism given that the other side of the aisle did just that for the last vacated seat.

The big risk is that if Trump is eventually indicted and the dems capture the senate and house, we may see an attempt to impeach both Gorsuch and a radical right-wing justice. If Trump decides to pick a centrist or even slightly-left-leaning judge, it's likely Gorsuch will not be challenged.

Impeachment conviction takes 2/3rds of the Senate. There's no way Democrats end up with 2/3rds of the Senate. There's also no call by left Congresscritters to impeach Gorsuch. It isn't gonna happen.

The big risk is Trump has a Harriet Meyers moment, and nominates Pirro, Giuliani, or Hannity.

The White House has already said that this nominee will come from the original list of candidates:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/president-do...

I can see Giuliani, and I can see it sailing--former federal prosecutor being bonafides that are hard for his base and Republicans to ignore. Thankfully, he's getting up there in years so, even if confirmed, won't last long, and maybe he'd pass on it because he'd rather not have that amount of work the older he gets.

Hannity is a joke, and almost welcome the nomination because it exposes the President's incompetence further. I think (or hope?) that even McConnell would balk at such a nomination.

Giuliani is 74. Gorsuch is 50. There's no way a president would give up decades of influence on the court by nominating an oldster.