Democrats are livid after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., stated that Republicans would confirm a new Supreme Court justice in 2020 if given the chance, despite refusing to do so when Barack Obama was president during the last presidential election.
McConnell made the comments during a speech in his home state Tuesday afternoon. Asked what Republicans would do if there was a vacancy on the court in 2020, he replied, "Uh, we'd fill it." In 2016, McConnell and his fellow Republicans chose not to vote on Obama's nominee, Merrick Garland, claiming that the next president should get to make that decision.
As a result, President Trump later successfully nominated the conservative Neil Gorsuch to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia. Garland is widely considered more centrist.–– ADVERTISEMENT ––Democratic presidential candidates quickly took the opportunity to accuse McConnell of hypocrisy.
"We've known all along how hypocritical the @senatemajldr is," said Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro. "But his shamlessness at stealing a Supreme Court seat is appalling."