President Donald Trump kicked off Tuesday with a series of tweets and retweets celebrating the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett and accusing former Vice President Joe Biden and his “handlers” of seeking to pack the court itself.
“Biden’s Handler’s want to expand the Court. This would be very bad for the USA,” he wrote. “On top of that they don’t want to provide a list of who would be chosen for the Court. MUST HAVE A LIST OF THESE RADICAL LEFT JUDGES!” (RELATED: Biden Says He’s ‘Not A Fan’ Of Court Packing)
Biden’s Handler’s want to expand the Court. This would be very bad for the USA. On top of that they don’t want to provide a list of who would be chosen for the Court. MUST HAVE A LIST OF THESE RADICAL LEFT JUDGES!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 27, 2020
I agree! https://t.co/HlcuuyhZtz
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 27, 2020
Biden said in mid-October that while he was “not a fan” of expanding the Court, he had avoided answering questions on the subject because it would take the spotlight off Trump and Senate Republicans’ efforts to confirm Barrett ahead of the election.
“Never before when an election has already begun and millions of votes already cast, has it — that a Supreme Court nominee was put forward, had never happened before,” he stated at the time. “One of the reasons is the Constitution implies that the only shot the American people get to determine who will be on a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court or federal courts is when they pick their senator and their president because the president names and the Senate advises and consents.”
WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 26: (L-R) U.S. President Donald Trump, newly sworn-in U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett and her husband Jesse Barrett look on during a ceremonial swearing-in on the South Lawn of the White House October 26, 2020 in Washington, DC. The Senate confirmed Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court today by a vote of 52-48. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
It should be noted that presidential candidates do not typically release lists of potential nominees to the Supreme Court. Trump himself was a rare exception during the 2016 campaign, publishing his list following the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.
Following her Monday evening confirmation vote, Barrett took part in a swearing-in ceremony at the White House where Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas administered her Constitutional Oath of Office.
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