Chuck Todd Observes Durbin Didn't Think There Needed to Be a SCOTUS Delay Two Years Ago

Cortney O'Brien | July 09, 2018 9:30 AM

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) is one of several Democrats demanding President Trump keep his Supreme Court nominees to himself until after the midterm elections. Two years ago he was singing a different tune. Justice Antonin Scalia had just passed away and Durbin said we need nine justices on the court. The only difference? President Obama was still in office. "Meet the Press" host Chuck Todd confronted the senator about his hypocrisy on his show Sunday.

Todd asked Durbin where he stood today. Durbin deflected to talk about Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's own resistance when Obama nominated Merrick Garland in 2016, but Todd pressed him to answer for his own record.

"I understand that," Todd returned. "Where are you on this now? Do you want it delayed? I understand you want to point out hypocrisy on McConnell’s side, but there is hypocrisy for you, too. If it was wrong in 2016, is it wrong now?"

"Come on, Chuck," Durbin said. "Get real. Senator McConnell invented this rule. Wouldn’t consider a meeting with Merrick Garland."

A few particular Democrats may be voting against Trump's nominee at their own political peril. Matt explained Sen. Claire McCaskill's precarious situation in Missouri. McCaskill, who has touted herself as a moderate, could risk alienating voters who voted Trump by an almost 20-point margin in the presidential election.