.@SenateMajLdr McConnell: “Tonight, President Trump will announce his nominee to fill the current Supreme Court vacancy. We don’t know who he will name, but we already know exactly what unfair tactics the nominee will face.” https://t.co/j1V0l7TctW pic.twitter.com/klKCJdK4Jq
— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 9, 2018
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on Monday afternoon directed his ire at unnamed Democrats he believes will stop at nothing to deny President Donald Trump a second Supreme Court justice pick in the wake of Anthony Kennedy‘s surprise departure.
During the speech, McConnell bashed Democrats and said they would resort to “unfair tactics” regardless of the SCOTUS choice:
According to the hysterical press releases that inevitably follow, no matter their qualifications, no matter their record, no matter their reputation, it’s the same hyperbole, the same accusations, the same old story. Tonight, President Trump will announce his nominee to fill the current Supreme Court vacancy. We don’t know who he will name, but we already know exactly what unfair tactics the nominee will face.
As for the content of those “unfair tactics”? McConnell was more than willing to offer a few examples. He said, “We can expect to hear how they’ll destroy equal rights or demolish American healthcare. Or ruin our country in some other fictional way.”
Twitter users were a bit flabbergasted by McConnell’s accusations.
One user said:
Complete hypocrisy! Mitch was on the senate floor ONE HOUR after Justice Scalia passed saying it didn’t matter who Obama nominates, the senate WOULD NOT DO ITS JOB. Literally ONE HOUR… this man… I have no words that are ugly enough for Mitch
— sheila smith (@staff4rebels) July 9, 2018
Another user echoed that sense of disbelief:
Is he serious? He can’t be serious, right?
— Veronica Garcia-Huff (@garcia_huff) July 9, 2018
And, of course, the ghost of Merrick Garland eventually made an appearance:
Unfair tactics my foot – remember Merrick Garland you cynical hypocrite!
— K. C. Thomas (@Kaycey_Thomas) July 9, 2018
During that same speech, the Senate majority leader criticized Democrats for fighting GOP Supreme Court nominations in general and accused them of repeatedly crying wolf.
[image via screengrab/Fox News]