Former Republican South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy said Thursday that the Democrats’ new court-packing bill was “a gift from God” to Republicans.
Gowdy joined Fox News anchor Bret Baier on “Special Report” to discuss the bill, unveiled earlier in the day by Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, among others. (RELATED: ‘Theater With A Purpose’: Andy McCarthy Says Court-Packing Bill Is ‘A Gun To The Supreme Court’s Head’)
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Baier began by noting that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had already signaled that she would not support the bill — which would immediately expand the Supreme Court to 13 justices — saying instead that she supported President Joe Biden’s plan to have a commission study the issue.
“Bret, this is a gift from God,” Gowdy said of the bill. “That is the only way to describe it. It has no chance ever of becoming law with the current Congress but it will be used to bludgeon Democrat candidates in 2022 which is why you saw that motley group of only four that can’t even wait for Biden’s commission.”
“So Republicans rejoice that Jerry Nadler is handling strategy for 2022. You are guaranteed to retake the House and the Senate,” Gowdy concluded.
Baier pointed out that the bill’s passage likely also hinged on whether Democrats succeeded in doing away with the Senate filibuster — but Axios’ Jonathan Swan didn’t believe that was likely.
“But it all comes as you said it comes down to Joe Manchin. It’s not just Joe Manchin, Kyrsten Sinema opposes eliminating the filibuster, but Manchin is dug in on this issue,” Swan said. “He’s put out an op-ed. He said it a million times on the record I don’t see any sign that he is softening on this issue whatsoever.”