How Many Minutes Did Republicans Wait Before Trampling Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Dying Wish?

Tommy ChristopherSep 19th, 2020, 8:23 am
 

Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images

Republicans didn’t wait long before urging President Donald Trump to violate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s dying wish that her successor be nominated by the winner of November’s presidential election.

The news of the beloved RBG’s passing began to filter out at around 7:40 pm Friday night, along with reports of her final wish. According to NPR, Ginsburg dictated a final statement to her granddaughter Clara Spera days before she died: “My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed.”

Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota was the first to tweet about Justice Ginsburg’s death.

Expressions of grief and tributes from other senators poured out over the following hours, but the news was 49 minutes old before Republicans began clamoring for Trump to violate Justice Ginsburg’s final wish.

At 8:29, Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler tweeted “My prayers are with the Ginsburg family,” then added “Our country’s future is at stake & @realDonaldTrump has every right to pick a new justice before the election. I look forward to supporting a strict constructionist who will protect the right to life & safeguard our conservative values.”

About 25 minutes later, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell tweeted a statement about Justice Ginsburg’s passing that included a detailed rationale for why “Trump’s nominee will receive a vote on the floor of the United States Senate.”

Just before McConnell’s statement was posted, Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow retweeted McConnell’s 2016 entreaty that “The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice.”

Arizona Republican Martha McSally joined the chorus a few minutes later, writing “This U.S. Senate should vote on President Trump’s next nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court.”

Ted Cruz’s first tweet on the matter was to promote his Fox News appearance because he is all class.

Next was Loeffler, again.

Sen. Rick Scott of Florida wrote “It would be irresponsible to allow an extended vacancy on the Supreme Court. I believe that President Trump’s nominee should get a vote in the U.S. Senate.”

Ted Cruz then posted a clip of himself telling Hannity why Trump should be allowed to rush through RBG’s replacement.

Seven minutes later, he posted it again.

And again.

Sen. John Thune was next to release a statement on his intention to ignore RBG’s wishes.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn wrote “I look forward to @realDonaldTrump’s nominee receiving a full vote on the Senate floor,” along with her own Fox News clip.

Cruz posted several more tweets expressing his view that RBG’s wishes be ignored.

So the answer to the question is 49 minutes.

This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.

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