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In February of 2016, conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia passed away, leaving a vacancy in the Supreme Court eight months before the presidential election.
Then-President Barack Obama named Judge Merrick Garland as his nominee to replace Scalia, but Senate Republicans—led by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)—refused to even begin proceedings to confirm Garland. The reason given by Republicans is that it was too close to the election to allow the President his appointment.
Among those Republican Senators was Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who not only supported delaying the appointment, but said he would take the same position if it was a Republican President making the appointment.
Watch below.
“I want you to use my words against me. If there's a Republican president in 2016 and a vacancy occurs in the last year of the first term, you can say Lindsey Graham said let's let the next president, whoever it might be, make that nomination." pic.twitter.com/quD1K5j9pz
— Vanita Gupta (@vanitaguptaCR) September 19, 2020
At a Senate Judiciary hearing in 2016, Graham said:
"I want you to use my words against me. If there's a Republican president in 2016 and a vacancy occurs in the last year of the first term, you can say, 'Lindsey Graham said let's let the next president, whoever it might be, make that nomination' and you can use my words against me and you'll be absolutely right. We're setting a precedent, the Republicans are."
Graham reiterated this position in a 2018 interview.
“If an opening comes in the last year of President Trump's term and the primary process is started, we'll wait for the next election," South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham said during an interview with @JeffreyGoldberg in 2018. https://t.co/OcIPa9qN8B pic.twitter.com/258bKecgtc
— The Atlantic (@TheAtlantic) September 19, 2020
Graham said:
"If an opening comes in the last year of President Trump's term and the primary process is started, we'll wait for the next election."
Graham's statements are being shared widely now after the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader GInsburg on Friday night. Ginsburg, a champion of women's rights throughout her career, issued a dying wish for no replacement to be named "until a new President is installed."
In a stunning display of hypocrisy, Graham is no longer holding himself to his own words.
LINDSEY GRAHAM on May 17, 2020:
“You had the president of one party…and you had the Senate in…the other party [in 2016]. A situation where you've got them both would be different. I don't want to speculate, but I think appointing judges is a high priority for me in 2020." pic.twitter.com/ygrGsWVu3p
— JM Rieger (@RiegerReport) September 19, 2020
Graham said in an interview with Fox News' Greta Van Susteren:
"Well, Merrick Garland was a different situation. You had the president of one party nominating, and you had the Senate in the hands of the other party. A situation where you've got them both would be different. I don't want to speculate, but I think appointing judges is a high priority for me in 2020."
This didn't fly with those intent on holding Graham accountable.
Lindsey Graham's support for filling a SCOTUS vacancy in final year of a president's term is pure hypocrisy.
As I recount in “Undaunted," he once told me not to pay attention to his public statements, as it's all just politics.
He fully deserves to be bounced from the Senate.
— John O. Brennan (@JohnBrennan) September 21, 2020
You guys who trust Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski are cute. You guys who trusted Lindsey Graham are delusional.
— Randi Mayem Singer (@rmayemsinger) September 21, 2020
Lindsey Graham is a Liar and everyone has seen it on TV
— marketman52 (@marketman52) September 21, 2020
.@LindseyGrahamSC you're a spineless coward. https://t.co/nzifKdvcj2
— Margaret Dioguardi (@MargaretDioguar) September 21, 2020
Oh, it's a different circumstance all right. People actually had already started voting before RBG's death was announced.
— Ellen Brockaway (@happyhexer) September 20, 2020
The only difference is there's a GOP President. That's it.
— Lycanhausen Da Bad Guyhausen (@BadGuyLycan) September 19, 2020
Graham is currently facing a competitive reelection campaign against Democratic South Carolina senate nominee Jaime Harrison.
People used Graham's hypocrisy as a call to show up for his opponent.
Quit lecturing Graham.
Donate to his opponent @harrisonjaime and vote Graham out. https://t.co/yaE7u0ydQp
— Michael J. Stern (@MichaelJStern1) September 21, 2020
What's this doing to the Graham-Harrison race? Before the loss of RBG, they were polling pretty even. Does this issue have sway? Are Graham voters concerned about his credibility? If you're reading this tweet, have you sent @harrisonjaime a contribution? Will you do it now?!? https://t.co/SbGEvGVRLh
— What_Fresh_Hell_Is_This?!? (@BidenHarris__) September 20, 2020
Lindsey Graham is a sycophantic hypocrite who betrays the values and norms that make America great. I donated to his opponent @harrisonjaime in honor of RBG. Please consider doing the same. It's time we restore principle, honor and decency to Washington.https://t.co/Yy09WPptRK https://t.co/E74SP8rdXK
— Spin Doctor (@SpinDr) September 19, 2020
Lindsey Graham's senate seat is up for re-election, just saying. You can:
💰 Donate to his opponent @harrisonjaime. It's a close race.
🗣 Tell your friends in SC to vote for Jaime.https://t.co/2XBjXHVMMi
— Sara Robinson (@SRobTweets) September 21, 2020
Harrison's campaign has reported a massive uptick in donations since the announcement of Ginsburg's death.