In early 2016, when Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton seemed poised to take the White House, the passing of the late conservative Justice Antonin Scalia left a seat open on the Supreme Court—a seat whose replacement was constitutionally mandated to be selected by then-President Barack Obama.
The Republican-led Senate, however, said Obama's appointment was during an election year and therefore too close to be considered. The Senate held no hearings and held the seat open for nearly a year.
Flash forward to 2020. Less than 72 hours after the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, President Donald Trump nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to replace her.
After only days of hearings, Coney Barrett was confirmed by the Senate Judiciary Committee and, on Monday, the Senate. She was sworn in later that night and Trump was using the ceremony as a campaign ad by the next morning.
Despite Republican calls in 2016 for the nominee to be decided by the people through the presidential election, Coney Barrett was sworn in after 60 million people had already voted in the 2020 election.
With a potentially generational Supreme Court majority secured, some Republicans removed the mask of solemnity worn for the process and immediately began trolling their enemies.
The first on that list? 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, whose birthday happened to be the same day as Coney Barrett's confirmation.
The Twitter account for Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee tried to troll Clinton with a birthday wish celebrating the latest addition to the Supreme Court.
Amy Coney Barrett, confirmed. Happy Birthday, @HillaryClinton!
— House Judiciary GOP (@JudiciaryGOP) October 27, 2020
It's unclear what they were trying to achieve with the tweet other than pettiness.
But their attempt to troll backfired instantly.
There's such an inherent meanness to them. It takes so little to be better than this. https://t.co/welOjfSrTo
— Connie Schultz (@ConnieSchultz) October 27, 2020
First, you morons work for the taxpayers and this tweet is completely inappropriate. Second, it is classless. @HillaryClinton is a former Secretary of State, US Senator, First Lady and the Presidential nominee of the Democratic Party. Have some respect. Here is what we will do.1/ https://t.co/r8m38C9f9V
— Steve Schmidt (@SteveSchmidtSES) October 27, 2020
The Republican pretense that a Supreme Court appointment was a dignified affair above politics lasted three seconds after Justice Barrett was confirmed. https://t.co/hm0FiKeXpj
— Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) October 27, 2020
For many, it laid bare the priorities of the GOP as a whole.
This cannot be reformed. There is no better nature to appeal to here. Nobody to negotiate with. The cruelty is the point. https://t.co/NLFmOyPD8J
— maybe: diane⁷ (@dianelyssa) October 27, 2020
their only belief, their only platform, is that they hate you. https://t.co/eyVzQoq2Rf
— Justin “Hoops" McElroy (@JustinMcElroy) October 27, 2020
Owning the libs is all they care about https://t.co/0dU8TLLsLp
— Molly Jong-Fast🏡 (@MollyJongFast) October 27, 2020
It really is all about sticking it to perceived enemies and dominating people, not trying to make anything better or improve anyone's lives. Truly deranged. https://t.co/bec4Bj6Alj
— Jill Filipovic (@JillFilipovic) October 27, 2020
Some hoped the pettiness would mobilize even more people to vote for Democrats to expand their majority in the House, gain a majority in the Senate, and win the White House.
But won't this anger and fire up the liberals?
Yup.
I recommend Republicans keep gloating. https://t.co/mxqvDeQ3vf
— Wajahat "Wears a Mask Because of a Pandemic" Ali (@WajahatAli) October 27, 2020
This tweet will ultimately be a net positive as it will make a few liberals angrier than the confirmation itself & goad them into (their version of) action. https://t.co/LX1supTTqm
— The Blob (1988) Delaney (@robdelaney) October 27, 2020
Get mad.
Get even.
Vote. Take the WH and Senate. Fix the courts. Fix voter suppression. Make the GOP extinct. https://t.co/Nxmdf3yPDx
— Amy Siskind (@Amy_Siskind) October 27, 2020
We won't know until November 3—Election Day—at the earliest whether or not Democrats will be successful in that effort.
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