Axios’ Jonathan Swan pointed out a key detail that MSNBC’s Chris Matthews omitted during a panel on Monday discussing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell saying that he’d consider confirming a Supreme Court nominee in President Trump’s last year in office.
WATCH:
The segment aired immediately following the conclusion of Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s public swearing-in ceremony, and he was the original topic of conversation. The conversation then moved to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who said over the weekend that he would confirm a Supreme Court nominee in an election year if President Trump is in office — which was his reason for not holding a hearing for Judge Merrick Garland, who was appointed by President Obama.
“There is no high-minded legal, there’s no procedural principle here. The principle is to block liberal justices and confirm conservative justices. That’s is why Mitch McConnell got a standing ovation in that room,” Sahil Kupar, a Bloomberg political reporter, said.
Swan said, “By the way, the Democrats will do exactly the same thing.”
“Don’t do this double thing, even-handed crap,” Matthews responded.
“They will, you know they will,” Swan added.
“You know what I felt the last hour? What I think it would feel like if Trump gets re-elected. That sense of power, in your face power. Live with it. That’s what I saw what they just did. You know McConnell will do what he wants to do if they have the power to do it,” Matthews said. “They use their power. They’re different than Democrats. Democrats enjoy ideas and values. Republicans like one thing, absolute power. Thank you, Alana.”
“I think Harry Reid used a little bit of power,” Swan responded, in reference to Reid lowering the number of votes requiring to confirm a federal judge from 60 to 51 back in 2013. The Republicans then used Reid’s initial push to lower the number of votes for judges to be appointed to the Supreme Court, which is how both Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh got confirmed.
“Thank you, Jonathan, for your even-handed nonsense,” Matthews pointed out.
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