Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) explained on Monday where he would draw the line in voting for a Supreme Court nominee, should a second vacancy occur on President Biden's watch.
"I'm not going to be hypocritical on that," the Democratic senator told reporters. "If it comes a week or two weeks before, like it did with our last Supreme Court nominee, I think that’s a time it should go to the next election."
Manchin: “I'm not going to be hypocritical on that. If it would come a week or two weeks before -- like it did with our last Supreme Court nominee -- I think that's the time that it should go to the next election."
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) February 14, 2022
The centrist Democrat later clarified he was referring to the 2024 election, not the midterms.
Manchin later he says he “misspoke” and was referring to a confirmation vote right before (a week or two) a presidential election. Not midterm election. Initial question was about midterm election
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) February 14, 2022
He voted to confirm Justice Brett Kavanaugh before the 2018 midterms but did not support Justice Amy Coney Barrett before the 2020 election.
"Rushing to confirm a Supreme Court nominee weeks before a presidential election has never been done before in the history of our nation, and it will only fan the flames of division at a time when our country is deeply divided," he said in a Sept. 26, 2020 statement.
"I will not vote to confirm Judge Coney Barrett or any Supreme Court nominee before Election Day on Nov. 3. I urge my Republican friends to slow down, put people before politics, and give their constituents a chance to vote.”