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| Trump vows to select Ginsburg replacement 'without delay' – live | Trump vows to select Ginsburg replacement 'without delay' – live |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| President tweets about ‘most important’ duty | President tweets about ‘most important’ duty |
| In 2016, Republican senator Lindsey Graham said the following: “I want you to use my words against me. If there’s a Republican president in 2016 and a vacancy occurs in the last year of the first term, you can say Lindsey Graham said let’s let the next president, whoever it might be, make that nomination”. | |
| It should be no surprise to anyone with a passing familiarity with Graham’s history of going back on his word when it suits him, that he has now reversed course (although he says he did so long before Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death). Graham pointed to an article from The Hill earlier this year in which he talked about the case of Merrick Garland, Obama’s pick for the supreme court who the Republicans refused to confirm in the final year of Obama’s presidency. | |
| “Well, Merrick Garland was a different situation. You had the president of one party nominating, and you had the Senate in the hands of the other party. A situation where you’ve got them both would be different. I don’t want to speculate, but I think appointing judges is a high priority for me in 2020,” Graham said in the article. | |
| Reports that Donald Trump would select a woman to succeed Ruth Bader Ginsburg are gaining momentum, with Bloomberg’s Jennifer Jacobs saying the choices would include Barbara Lagoa and Amy Coney Barrett. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said earlier today that she was not aware of Trump and Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell discussing a replacement. | Reports that Donald Trump would select a woman to succeed Ruth Bader Ginsburg are gaining momentum, with Bloomberg’s Jennifer Jacobs saying the choices would include Barbara Lagoa and Amy Coney Barrett. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said earlier today that she was not aware of Trump and Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell discussing a replacement. |
| One other (male) possibility being discussed is Amul Thapar, who would become the first Indian-American to serve on the supreme court if selected and confirmed. | One other (male) possibility being discussed is Amul Thapar, who would become the first Indian-American to serve on the supreme court if selected and confirmed. |
| Trump has attempted some sort of statesmanlike tone this morning, promising to serve “the people who so proudly elected us” by announcing his nominee to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg “without delay” – never mind that nearly 3m more people voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016, and almost 18m more people voted for Democrats in the Senate than for the Republicans who hold it. | Trump has attempted some sort of statesmanlike tone this morning, promising to serve “the people who so proudly elected us” by announcing his nominee to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg “without delay” – never mind that nearly 3m more people voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016, and almost 18m more people voted for Democrats in the Senate than for the Republicans who hold it. |
| But the troll in the Oval Office – or the White House residence or maybe the private dining room off the Oval Office, the “Monica Room” (see Rage, Woodward, Bob, 2020) where he watches TV and eats junk food – is also active this morning: | But the troll in the Oval Office – or the White House residence or maybe the private dining room off the Oval Office, the “Monica Room” (see Rage, Woodward, Bob, 2020) where he watches TV and eats junk food – is also active this morning: |
| Short recap: in 2013, then Democratic Senate majority leader Harry Reid went for the “nuclear option”, removing the 60-vote threshold for judicial appointments, because he was frustrated by Republican obstruction of nominees from the Obama White House. | Short recap: in 2013, then Democratic Senate majority leader Harry Reid went for the “nuclear option”, removing the 60-vote threshold for judicial appointments, because he was frustrated by Republican obstruction of nominees from the Obama White House. |
| The move made such appointments subject to a simple majority and after Republicans took the Senate in 2016, they extended it to supreme court picks. | The move made such appointments subject to a simple majority and after Republicans took the Senate in 2016, they extended it to supreme court picks. |
| Two Trump justices later and with an absolutely seismic third in the offing, some are taking the chance to revel in what was undoubtedly an immense tactical victory for Reid’s opposite number and successor as majority leader, Mitch “Mule Piss” McConnell. | Two Trump justices later and with an absolutely seismic third in the offing, some are taking the chance to revel in what was undoubtedly an immense tactical victory for Reid’s opposite number and successor as majority leader, Mitch “Mule Piss” McConnell. |
| Reid is not well, but from retirement in Nevada he issued a statement which pointed to the possible costs to Republicans, politically, and the country, socially, should Trump and McConnell succeed in installing a nominee before the election, or before Trump leaves the White House, should he lose to Joe Biden: | Reid is not well, but from retirement in Nevada he issued a statement which pointed to the possible costs to Republicans, politically, and the country, socially, should Trump and McConnell succeed in installing a nominee before the election, or before Trump leaves the White House, should he lose to Joe Biden: |
| Felicity Jones, the British actor, who played Ruth Bader Ginsburg in the 2018 film On The Basis Of Sex, has paid tribute to the supreme court justice. | Felicity Jones, the British actor, who played Ruth Bader Ginsburg in the 2018 film On The Basis Of Sex, has paid tribute to the supreme court justice. |
| “Ruth Bader Ginsburg gave us hope, a public figure who stood for integrity and justice – a responsibility she did not wear lightly,” Jones said in a statement to NBC’s Today show. “She will be missed not only as a beacon of light in these difficult times but for her razor sharp wit and extraordinary humanity. She taught us all so much. I will miss her deeply.” | “Ruth Bader Ginsburg gave us hope, a public figure who stood for integrity and justice – a responsibility she did not wear lightly,” Jones said in a statement to NBC’s Today show. “She will be missed not only as a beacon of light in these difficult times but for her razor sharp wit and extraordinary humanity. She taught us all so much. I will miss her deeply.” |
| Jones met Ginsburg for the making of the film and described her as “very open”. You can read the Guardian’s review of the film below: | Jones met Ginsburg for the making of the film and described her as “very open”. You can read the Guardian’s review of the film below: |
| One fear for Democrats is that wavering Republican voters will rally to the GOP in November’s elections to ensure a conservative replaces Ruth Bader Ginsburg, even if they view Donald Trump with distaste. | One fear for Democrats is that wavering Republican voters will rally to the GOP in November’s elections to ensure a conservative replaces Ruth Bader Ginsburg, even if they view Donald Trump with distaste. |
| It appears that Republicans in close Senate races are already using the supreme court’s future in an attempt to win votes. North Carolina Republican senator Thom Tillis said on Saturday that he wanted a new justice in as soon as possible. | It appears that Republicans in close Senate races are already using the supreme court’s future in an attempt to win votes. North Carolina Republican senator Thom Tillis said on Saturday that he wanted a new justice in as soon as possible. |
| “Four years ago, a Supreme Court vacancy arose under divided government and a lame-duck president as Americans were choosing his successor. Today, however, President Trump is again facing voters at the ballot box and North Carolinians will ultimately render their judgment on his presidency and how he chooses to fill the vacancy,” he said in a statement. | “Four years ago, a Supreme Court vacancy arose under divided government and a lame-duck president as Americans were choosing his successor. Today, however, President Trump is again facing voters at the ballot box and North Carolinians will ultimately render their judgment on his presidency and how he chooses to fill the vacancy,” he said in a statement. |
| Tillis is trailing his Democrat opponent, Cal Cunningham, in the polls for the Senate seat and played on conservative voters’ fears in his statement. “There is a clear choice on the future of the Supreme Court between the well-qualified and conservative jurist President Trump will nominate and I will support, and the liberal activist Joe Biden will nominate and Cal Cunningham will support, who will legislate radical, left-wing policies from the bench,” he said. | Tillis is trailing his Democrat opponent, Cal Cunningham, in the polls for the Senate seat and played on conservative voters’ fears in his statement. “There is a clear choice on the future of the Supreme Court between the well-qualified and conservative jurist President Trump will nominate and I will support, and the liberal activist Joe Biden will nominate and Cal Cunningham will support, who will legislate radical, left-wing policies from the bench,” he said. |
| Vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris visited the supreme court this morning as Americans paid tribute to Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Harris have her own thoughts of Ginsburg on Twitter: | Vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris visited the supreme court this morning as Americans paid tribute to Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Harris have her own thoughts of Ginsburg on Twitter: |
| “Justice Ginsburg was a titan—a relentless defender of justice and a legal mind for the ages,” Harris wrote. “The stakes of this election couldn’t be higher. Millions of Americans are counting on us to win and protect the Supreme Court—for their health, for their families, and for their rights.” | “Justice Ginsburg was a titan—a relentless defender of justice and a legal mind for the ages,” Harris wrote. “The stakes of this election couldn’t be higher. Millions of Americans are counting on us to win and protect the Supreme Court—for their health, for their families, and for their rights.” |
| Meanwhile, writing in The Hill, Roger House gives an interesting choice for a successor to Ginsburg should Joe Biden get to have his say: Michelle Obama. | Meanwhile, writing in The Hill, Roger House gives an interesting choice for a successor to Ginsburg should Joe Biden get to have his say: Michelle Obama. |
| “In Michelle Obama, concerned Americans would be comforted by her well-known intellectual acumen and dedication to the goals of equal justice with fairness. She is singularly qualified to occupy the seat that inherits the ideals of Justice Ginsburg,” writes House. | “In Michelle Obama, concerned Americans would be comforted by her well-known intellectual acumen and dedication to the goals of equal justice with fairness. She is singularly qualified to occupy the seat that inherits the ideals of Justice Ginsburg,” writes House. |
| You can read the full article here. | You can read the full article here. |
| Ruth Bader Ginsburg was born and raised in Brooklyn, and New York governor Andrew Cuomo has announced a statue of the supreme court justice will be erected in the borough. | Ruth Bader Ginsburg was born and raised in Brooklyn, and New York governor Andrew Cuomo has announced a statue of the supreme court justice will be erected in the borough. |
| “NY’s heart breaks with the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg,” wrote Cuomo on Twitter. “During her extraordinary career, this Brooklyn native broke barriers & the letters RBG took on new meaning—as battle cry & inspiration. Her legal mind & dedication to justice leave an indelible mark on America.” | “NY’s heart breaks with the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg,” wrote Cuomo on Twitter. “During her extraordinary career, this Brooklyn native broke barriers & the letters RBG took on new meaning—as battle cry & inspiration. Her legal mind & dedication to justice leave an indelible mark on America.” |
| He added: “This statue will serve as a physical reminder of Justice Ginsburg’s monumental contributions to the America we know today and as an inspiration for all.” | He added: “This statue will serve as a physical reminder of Justice Ginsburg’s monumental contributions to the America we know today and as an inspiration for all.” |
| You can read more on Ginsburg’s extraordinary life in our obituary here: | You can read more on Ginsburg’s extraordinary life in our obituary here: |
| One video doing the rounds today is of Republican senator Lindsey Graham’s comments from 2016 on the nomination of a new justice. | One video doing the rounds today is of Republican senator Lindsey Graham’s comments from 2016 on the nomination of a new justice. |
| After the death of conservative supreme court justice Antonin Scalia in 2016, Graham said a replacement should not be decided until Barack Obama was out of power - something that came to pass. The Republican justification at the time was that a new president should decide the new justice. | After the death of conservative supreme court justice Antonin Scalia in 2016, Graham said a replacement should not be decided until Barack Obama was out of power - something that came to pass. The Republican justification at the time was that a new president should decide the new justice. |
| “I want you to use my words against me. If there’s a Republican president in 2016 and a vacancy occurs in the last year of the first term, you can say Lindsey Graham said let’s let the next president, whoever it might be, make that nomination,” said at the time. | “I want you to use my words against me. If there’s a Republican president in 2016 and a vacancy occurs in the last year of the first term, you can say Lindsey Graham said let’s let the next president, whoever it might be, make that nomination,” said at the time. |
| The video has been retweeted regularly since the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg was announced, including by Hawaii senator Brian Schatz who added the word: “DONE”. | The video has been retweeted regularly since the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg was announced, including by Hawaii senator Brian Schatz who added the word: “DONE”. |
| Given that Graham is perfectly happy to go back on his word when it suits him, don’t expect the videos to make much difference. | Given that Graham is perfectly happy to go back on his word when it suits him, don’t expect the videos to make much difference. |
| The death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has sparked a titanic political fight that could shape the future of US supreme court decisions on abortion rights, voting rights and other fundamental issues for a generation. | The death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has sparked a titanic political fight that could shape the future of US supreme court decisions on abortion rights, voting rights and other fundamental issues for a generation. |
| That fight could also determine the contours of American society for the next 30 to 40 years, given the central role the court plays in legislating on cultural, social and political issues. | That fight could also determine the contours of American society for the next 30 to 40 years, given the central role the court plays in legislating on cultural, social and political issues. |
| The Senate confirmation battle to come will be a reminder of the influence the court wields within the US system of government and the impact it has on the lives of ordinary citizens. | The Senate confirmation battle to come will be a reminder of the influence the court wields within the US system of government and the impact it has on the lives of ordinary citizens. |
| Donald Trump has already appointed two supreme court justices – but both were conservatives replacing conservatives. If the president succeeds with a Ginsburg replacement it will fundamentally change the shape of the court, since it would replace a liberal with a conservative. This would deliver a handsome majority on the court and probably change American life in unprecedented ways. | Donald Trump has already appointed two supreme court justices – but both were conservatives replacing conservatives. If the president succeeds with a Ginsburg replacement it will fundamentally change the shape of the court, since it would replace a liberal with a conservative. This would deliver a handsome majority on the court and probably change American life in unprecedented ways. |
| The ability of the court to interpret legislation from abortion to voting rights and from racial segregation to LGBTQ+ issues means that a successful appointment would probably be Trump’s lasting legacy. Supreme court justices serve open-ended terms, impacting the country decades after any president leaves the White House. | The ability of the court to interpret legislation from abortion to voting rights and from racial segregation to LGBTQ+ issues means that a successful appointment would probably be Trump’s lasting legacy. Supreme court justices serve open-ended terms, impacting the country decades after any president leaves the White House. |
| You can read the full story below: | You can read the full story below: |
| Donald Trump has once again reiterated his desire to select a new supreme court justice while the Republicans have power over the presidency and Senate. | Donald Trump has once again reiterated his desire to select a new supreme court justice while the Republicans have power over the presidency and Senate. |
| “We were put in this position of power and importance to make decisions for the people who so proudly elected us, the most important of which has long been considered to be the selection of United States Supreme Court Justices. We have this obligation, without delay!” the president tweeted on Saturday morning. | “We were put in this position of power and importance to make decisions for the people who so proudly elected us, the most important of which has long been considered to be the selection of United States Supreme Court Justices. We have this obligation, without delay!” the president tweeted on Saturday morning. |
| For more on why Trump is so keen to get a new justice in place, here’s a very useful explainer from our own Tom McCarthy: | For more on why Trump is so keen to get a new justice in place, here’s a very useful explainer from our own Tom McCarthy: |