During Wednesday’s special coverage of the memorial service for the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, so-called journalists on NBC and ABC were in mourning over the inability of Democrats to block any nominee President Trump put forward to fill the vacancy on the high court. The networks were clearly upset that their party was “powerless to stop this.”
On NBC, White House correspondent Peter Alexander noted plans for the President and First Lady to pay their respects to Ginsburg on Thursday as she lies in repose at the Supreme Court, he then decided it was appropriate to take this partisan cheap shot at Trump: “Of course, that’s notable because the President’s already made it clear that he’s not going to respect the ‘fervent wish,’ in the words of Ruth Bader Ginsburg herself, that it would be the next president, the next president, who would ultimately determine who would replace her on the Court.”
Nightly News anchor Lester Holt followed up by lamenting: “Democrats realizing they have no mechanism to stop the nomination of, and confirmation of, another Supreme – a replacement Supreme Court justice...” He then turned to congressional correspondent Kasie Hunt, who further commiserated with bitter Democrats:
They really don’t have very many options, Lester, and I get the sense that there is a sense of sadness, in some ways, that’s settled in with Democrats who realize there’s nothing they can do to give Ruth Bader Ginsburg her dying wish. As well as a continued current of anger for that same reality. And Mitch McConnell is pressing forward with a confirmation hearing and likely a vote, possibly even before Election Day. Again, over the objections of that dying wish of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, that the next president should pick whoever was to succeed her on the Court.
During ABC’s special report, congressional correspondent Mary Bruce wailed: “I think for Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s supporters and admirers on the left, especially many women across this country, it has been a week full of anguish and also outrage at this fight to fill her seat.” The reporter sorrowfully concluded: “President Trump making it clear he wants this seat filled before Election Day, Democrats here effectively powerless to stop this.”
Even while friends, family, and colleagues were trying to honor Ginburg’s life, all the leftist media could do was wring their hands over the fate of congressional Democrats.
Here is a transcript of the September 23 coverage on NBC:
10:00 AM ET
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RUTH MARCUS [WASHINGTON POST]: Her evolution into this liberal icon was not expected, but it is a reflection not just of her tenacity, but the changing court that she joined and how much more conservative it has become and how much more conservative it seems destined to be with her absence and with her seat being filled, as it appears it will be, by President Trump.
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: And, Ruth, on that note, we’ll turn to NBC’s White House correspondent Peter Alexander. Peter, as you know, the plan here is to have the casket lie in repose on the steps of the Court, so that the public may pay respects, and one of those members is expected to be the President himself, coming to the Supreme Court, with the First Lady, to honor Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
PETER ALEXANDER: Yeah, Savannah, that’s right. We learned from the White House this morning that President Trump and the First Lady, Melania Trump, are expected to pay their respects, in the words of the White House, to the late justice tomorrow at the Supreme Court, where she will be lying in repose. Of course, that’s notable because the President’s already made it clear that he’s not going to respect the “fervent wish,” in the words of Ruth Bader Ginsburg herself, that it would be the next president, the next president, who would ultimately determine who would replace her on the Court. The President expected to attend tomorrow. We have seen him have his past bickers, bickering with Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
And even as we anticipate that, President Trump is moving ahead, full steam ahead, in fact, with his plans to replace Ginsburg on the Court. He says he will make an announcement Saturday afternoon, with his desire that the Senate, and it appears all of the obstacles have been cleared, the Senate Republicans would be able to vote and likely confirm whoever that pick is, before the upcoming election.
Right now, notably, the President’s only, that we know of, met with at least one candidate, a judge by the name of Amy Coney Barrett, she’s a 48-year-old mother of seven, a former professor at Notre Dame University, and in many ways, in terms of their view of the law, she really is the polar opposite of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. So as we celebrate the loss of Ginsburg today, it does appear clear that there will be a different sort of direction that the Court heads into in the future
LESTER HOLT: Alright, Peter, thank you. Let’s go to NBC’s Capitol Hill correspondent Kasie Hunt right now, who will talk a little bit more about what is to come now. Democrats realizing they have no mechanism to stop the nomination of, and confirmation of, another Supreme – a replacement Supreme Court justice, so give us a sense of the temperature on Capitol Hill right now.
KASIE HUNT: They really don’t have very many options, Lester, and I get the sense that there is a sense of sadness, in some ways, that’s settled in with Democrats who realize there’s nothing they can do to give Ruth Bader Ginsburg her dying wish. As well as a continued current of anger for that same reality. And Mitch McConnell is pressing forward with a confirmation hearing and likely a vote, possibly even before Election Day. Again, over the objections of that dying wish of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, that the next president should pick whoever was to succeed her on the Court.
(...)
Here is a transcript of the coverage on ABC:
9:55 AM ET
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GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: We see the flag flying at half-staff there outside the Supreme Court. Just across, the United States Capitol. Our senior congressional correspondent Mary Bruce is there. Mary, on Friday, Justice Ginsburg will be remembered at the Capitol, and then another huge fight begins.
MARY BRUCE: And George, the split screen that we have seen this week has just been remarkable. While the nation comes together to mourn the loss of this truly incredible life, here across the street at the Capitol, we are in the midst of this bitterly partisan fight. I think for Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s supporters and admirers on the left, especially many women across this country, it has been a week full of anguish and also outrage at this fight to fill her seat.
And this fight has moved very quickly. It is remarkable less than a week after her passing, it seems all but certain that Republicans here will have the votes to fill this seat. Despite taking an opposite position in 2016, during the fight to fill Antonin Scalia’s seat in the run up to that election, Republicans leaders here making clear, given the balance of power, they feel this is a very different situation. We could be heading towards hearings here in early October. President Trump making it clear he wants this seat filled before Election Day, Democrats here effectively powerless to stop this.
(...)
