On Friday, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away at the age of 87, having lost her battle to cancer. President Trump learned of Ginsburg's passing for the first time from a reporter and his reaction to the sad news was captured on video.
"She just died? Wow. I didn't know that. You're telling me that for the first time," the president said. "She led an amazing life. What else can you say? She was an amazing woman, whether you agree or not. She was an amazing woman who led an amazing life. I'm actually sad to hear that. I'm sad to hear that."
Moments ago, President @realDonaldTrump reacted to the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg:
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) September 19, 2020
“She led an amazing life. What else can you say? She was an amazing woman...I’m saddened to hear that.”pic.twitter.com/Ag6WZElTQW
The Supreme Court revealed in July that the octogenarian had been undergoing chemotherapy treatments for cancer since May. Ginsburg had been in and out of the hospital over recent years battling a variety of ailments.
Democrats are already pretending like a rule exists barring the president from nominating someone to fill her vacancy, as he's constitutionally bound to do. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called on the president not to choose a nominee, pending the results of the November election.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell vowed to hold a full Senate vote on the president's nominee to fill the open seat.
"President Trump’s nominee will receive a vote on the floor of the United States Senate," said the Senate majority leader in a statement.
McConnell notes that voters gave Republicans control over the Senate in 2016 to check and balance the last days of Barack Obama's lame-duck presidency. Now, with Republicans in control of both the White House and Senate, McConnell said he will move forward with a Trump nominee.