CNN’s John Avlon Blames Mitch McConnell’s ‘Unprecedented Power Grab’ for Amy Coney Barrett’s ‘Stolen’ Court Seat

CNN’s John Avlon blasted Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for his role in the obstructive partisan politics that seem to have tainted the Supreme Court justice nomination process.

In a Reality Check segment for New Day, Avlon focused on how the American judicial nomination process has been “corrupted by obstruction” and “hijacked by hyper-partisans” in recent years. This comes as the Senate moves ahead with Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court confirmation, which Avlon called an “unprecedented power grab” since the 2020 election is less than a month away.

“When Mitch McConnell complained about the Democratic playbook of double standards, broken promises, and raw power, he was engaging in some primo projection,” Avlon said. He pointed to the GOP’s blockade against Merrick Garland as a prime example of their shifting standards on election-year judicial nominations.

Avlon proclaimed “Judge Amy Coney Barrett is actually sitting in a stolen appellate court seat right now.” He explained that former President Barack Obama nominated Judge Myra Selby to the circuit court years ago, but she was denied a senate vote and Barrett got to take that seat when her own vote was allowed to go forward.

Avlon continued by looking at the unprecedented amount of nominees that were blocked during the Obama years, and how that led to former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid eliminating the Senate filibuster. He also lamented how “situational ethics” and party-line votes have tarnished the confirmation process over the last several years.

Watch above, via CNN.

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