George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley said Monday that Joe Biden is no longer the “straight up” senator that he used to know.
“I had a lot of respect when he was in the Senate and I find this all rather strange because the Biden that many of us saw in the Senate was very popular because he would speak to you straight up, particularly when it came to constitutional matters,” Turley told Fox News’ “Hannity.”
“He had a Northstar that you could rely on. This is not the Joe Biden that many of us saw in the Senate.” (RELATED: Jonathan Turley Calls For Civility In Impeachment Hearing — Gets Threats Instead)
Turley told host Sean Hannity that he came “from a very strong Democratic and liberal family in Chicago” but now considers himself To be “an Independent.” He said he considers it “bizarre” that Biden is now refusing to answer or waffling on whether he wants to pack the Supreme Court of the United States. Biden has even declared that voters don’t deserve to know where he stands on the issue.
“The most unnerving thing about these plans is that this country is already divided,” Turley continued. “We’ve never needed the Supreme Court more, the Supreme Court is an extraordinary institution that, as President [Andrew] Jackson said, ‘it has no army.’”
Turley noted that presidents have “yielded” to the court’s verdicts nonetheless “because it has credibility, because it has authority. If you pack the court, you lose that.”
He noted that if Americans lose the “moderating” effect of the Supreme Court “things can go really badly at really bad times.”
The constitutional scholar argued that America is living through “one of those times.”
“We’ve been divided as a nation before, but we’ve always had this stabilizing influence,” Turley said, adding that “it’s wrong” for Biden not to be clear about whether he supports court packing. (RELATED: Joe Biden Says Majority Of Americans Who Say They Are Better Off Today ‘Probably Shouldn’t’ Vote For Him)
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden waves before traveling to Grand Rapids, Michigan, at New Castle County Airport Oct. 2, 2020 in New Castle, Delaware. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
“Many people of both parties will not vote for someone who is even considering a court packing plan. To say that you’re not going to tell people until after the election is just rather bizarre.”
Turley was a key witness during the House impeachment hearings against President Donald Trump. After arguing that the decision to impeach the president proceeded too quickly without sufficient evidence, Turley said he and his family received threats from detractors.