Washington, Jul 9 (IANS): US President Donald Trump said was "very close" to deciding on his Supreme Court nominee, and anticipated a final announcement by Monday.

"I'm very close to making a decision," CNN quoted Trump as saying on Monday.

"Have not made it official yet, obviously. Have not made it final. But we're very close to making a decision."

Before boarding Air Force One en route to Washington, Trump said he was considering four people and that of those under consideration, "you can't go wrong".

"I'm getting very close to making a final decision," Trump said, adding that he would "probably" have a decision by Monday morning.

Trump has said he plans to unveil his pick to replace outgoing Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy on Monday night after the long-time member of the court announced his intention to retire last month.

Kennedy's exit has afforded Trump the opportunity to replace the frequent swing vote on the court with a reliable conservative judge and influence the judiciary for decades.

An official said last week that Trump had completed his scheduled interviews for potential nominees.