The clock is ticking on whether a Supreme Court nominee can be confirmed before the presidential election on November 3. President Trump plans to announce a replacement for the late Justice Rather Bader Ginsburg at the end of the week and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham is preparing for a thorough but efficient nomination process.
In 2016, Graham argued a Supreme Court vacancy should not be filled during an election year. When asked about his previous comments, he said earlier this year the rules and his perspective changed after the Kavanaugh hearings in 2018.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., chairman of the Judiciary Committee, which reviews Supreme Court nominations, said he's prepared to advance a nominee if a vacancy occurs this year.
"Yeah. We'll cross that bridge. After [Brett] Kavanaugh, the rules have changed as far as I'm concerned," he told reporters, citing the intense battle over Trump's most recent Supreme Court nominee in 2018, who was narrowly confirmed. "We'll see what the market will bear if that ever happens."
At what moment did the rules change for Graham? This may have been it.
1. I forgot how good this was.
— Josh Holmes (@HolmesJosh) September 21, 2020
2. Everyone underestimates the extent to which the Kavanaugh experience has radicalized fair minded conservatives when it comes to court fights. https://t.co/Zw0SCAIwLt
And this:
I stand by what I said in Jan. 2019: Harry Reid & Chuck Schumer changed Senate rules to try and stack the courts for Obama. Now it's coming back to haunt them as I predicted. I'm dead set on confirming @realDonaldTrump’s nominee. If you stand with me: https://t.co/MYF6qgyjdI pic.twitter.com/lsejlSs0QQ
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) September 19, 2020
Democrats chose to set in motion rules changes to stack the court at the Circuit level and they chose to try to destroy Brett Kavanaugh’s life to keep the Supreme Court seat open.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) September 20, 2020
You reap what you sow.
The White House is confident a nominee can be confirmed before Election Day.
"It will be a very quick turn of events," White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Monday morning.
President Trump says he will soon nominate a justice to replace the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court.
— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) September 21, 2020
White House @PressSec @KayleighMcEnany joins us with details on the president's timeline, and what she says the president is looking for in a nominee. pic.twitter.com/3nPk4tCJez