“We’ll see if there’s a vacancy in 2020.” That’s what Mitch McConnell told Chris Wallace when asked whether he would fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court in a presidential election year, should an opening arise. In 2016, McConnell insisted it would be improper to fill the late Justice Antonin Scalia’s seat with Barack Obama’s nominee Merrick Garland before the American people had the opportunity to weigh in at the ballot box. Trump won, Garland got canned, and Neil Gorsuch took the seat.
Wallace pressed on. “But you’re not ruling out the possibility since you’re the Republican majority leader, and there’s a Republican president, that you would go for and push the nomination of a Trump nominee in the election year.” McConnell barely flinched. No smile, no frown, no crocodile tears — perfect political composure.
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