Donald Trump is set to release an expanded short list of potential SCOTUS nominations Friday, which remarkably includes previously outspoken NeverTrump Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah).

The move suggests Trump is extending an olive branch to former rival Sen. Ted Cruz, who might be on the verge of endorsing the GOP nominee’s presidential bid. The nod for Lee may be part of a process that began earlier this week when Trump endorsed Cruz’s current efforts to block the transfer of IANA oversight from the Department of Commerce to ICANN.

“Donald Trump continues to take unprecedented steps to demonstrate that he intends to appoint justices like Scalia, Thomas, and Alito.”

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“Donald Trump continues to take unprecedented steps to demonstrate that he intends to appoint justices like Scalia, Thomas, and Alito,” said Carrie Severino, chief counsel and policy director of the Judicial Crisis Network and former clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas, in a statement.

“Conservatives should be very pleased by the steps he has taken, and if he lives up to his promises we will have a court that truly puts the rule of law ahead of political preferences,” Severino said.

The selection of Lee shows not only a Trump who desires a strong united front against HIllary Clinton, but also a Trump who is willing to extend a hand of friendship to even his harshest critics.

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In May, Lee told reporters he has “some concerns with [Trump]. He scares me to death.” At the end of June, in an interview with Newsmax, he attacked Trump in what Politico described as a “rant.”

“Hey look, Steve, I get it. You want me to endorse Trump,” Lee told NewsMaxTV host Steve Malzberg. “We can get into that if you want. We can get into the fact that he accused my best friend’s father of conspiring to kill JFK. We can go through the fact that he’s made statements that some have identified correctly as religiously intolerant,” Lee added.

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“Again — I hope I can get over this, because I can’t vote for Hillary. I know there’s no possibility of that,” Lee continued. “What I am saying is that Donald Trump can still get a lot of votes from a lot of conservatives like me, but I would like some assurances on where he’s going to stand his ground. I’d like some assurances that he’s going to be a vigorous defender for the U.S. Constitution.”

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By putting someone who has been such an outspoken critic on his Supreme Court shortlist, Trump is again demonstrating his ability to look past personal issues and do what’s best for the nation — a trait previously displayed when Trump enthusiastically backed former rival Sen. Marco Rubio’s decision to seek re-election in Florida, and when Trump met with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto.

The move may help Trump continue to solidify GOP support and unify the party leading into October. A Sept. 14 Fox News Poll showed that Trump currently has earned 80 percent support from registered Republicans.

If Cruz and Lee accept Trump’s extended hand of friendship and publicly endorse the candidate, it could go far in Trump’s efforts to lock up the remaining undecided Republicans.

In addition to Sen. Lee, Trump’s expanded list includes Keith Blackwell, Charles Canady, Neil Gorsuch, Timothy Tymkovich, Edward Mansfield, Federico Moreno, Amul Thapar, Margaret A. Ryan, and Robert Young.