Just seconds after the White House ceremony nominating Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court concluded on Saturday, ABC’s special coverage turned into a left-wing strategy session, with anchor George Stephonopoulos seizing on Democrats tarring the event as an “illegitimate sham.” The former Clinton hack later promised: “The battle just beginning.”
“It is already shaping up to be a fierce battle, an unprecedented battle just over five weeks before Election Day,” Stephanopoulos proclaimed moments after President Trump announced his decision to nominate Barrett to the high court. The Good Morning America host then bitterly noted: “And of course, four years ago, Republicans refused to even give a hearing to President Obama’s choice for the Supreme Court vacancy of Justice Scalia, when he died in February of 2016.”
Turning to senior congressional correspondent Mary Bruce, Stephanopoulos eagerly parroted unfounded nonsense being spewed by Democratic partisans:
A chorus of praise already from Senate Republicans. Criticism from Democrats, including Joe Biden, who said that Judge Barrett could be a threat to the Affordable Care Act, also says it shouldn’t even be voted on until after the election. And several Democratic senators saying this is an illegitimate sham process.
Of course he never bothered to fact-check the wildly false claim that the President fulfilling his constitutional obligation to nominate a Supreme Court justice was somehow “illegitimate.”
Bruce doubled down on the promise of a “bitter partisan fight” in the weeks ahead, even as she admitted that “there is very little that Democrats can do.”
Speaking to chief White House correspondent Jon Karl, Stephanopoulos fretted: “Judge Barrett making it clear where she stands right now. She says ‘His judicial philosophy,’ speaking of Antonin Scalia, ‘is mine.’ That’s a clear signal to conservatives she would lock in a conservative majority on the Supreme Court if confirmed.”
The two of them then tried to console themselves with the hope that Republicans would lose in November:
STEPHANOPOULOS: But one of the big questions is, will this put the Senate majority for Republicans at risk, this battle?
JON KARL: The Senate majority clearly something already at risk, George. And one reason that you see the Republicans pushing so quickly to get a confirmation before the election is that this is an election that could end the Republican majority, raising the possibility of a lame-duck confirmation with not just a lame-duck president, potentially, but a lame-duck Senate. So this will be an immense political battle over the coming weeks.
Stephanopoulos reiterated: “The battle just beginning.”
Whatever unhinged talking points Democrats come up with to trash Barrett, the leftist media will be right there to serve as a shameless echo chamber.
The live ABC News Special report did not feature any commercials, but you can fight back against the left-wing press by contacting some of the largest advertisers that sponsor such outlets.
Here is a transcript of the September 26 coverage:
5:23 PM ET
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GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: President Trump saying that this confirmation process could be easier than the senators think. It is already shaping up to be a fierce battle, an unprecedented battle just over five weeks before Election Day. No Supreme Court justice has been confirmed this close to an election in an election year. And of course, four years ago, Republicans refused to even give a hearing to President Obama’s choice for the Supreme Court vacancy of Justice Scalia, when he died in February of 2016.
I want to bring in Mary Bruce, our senior congressional correspondent. A chorus of praise already from Senate Republicans. Criticism from Democrats, including Joe Biden, who said that Judge Barrett could be a threat to the Affordable Care Act, also says it shouldn’t even be voted on until after the election. And several Democratic senators saying this is an illegitimate sham process.
MARY BRUCE: George, it is clear already from the initial statements rolling in why this is going to be such a bitter partisan fight. And this is also going to be a fight that is going to move very quickly. We have learned that confirmation hearings are expected to start on October 12th. That sets you up for a final vote on the Senate floor just days before the election. As you said, we have never before in our nation’s history seen a confirmation fight this close to an election.
And it is going to be a bitter partisan fight, but there is very little that Democrats can do. They are aware of that. And right now it is all but certain that Republicans will have the votes to confirm her. The President has made clear he in my ways is relishing this fight. He does think that this will help energize his base in these final weeks before the election, and also he has been very blunt in saying part of the reason he wants this done by Election Day is in case the election is contested and it does end up in the Supreme Court. Democrats that I have talked with are clear eyed, they know they have very little power in that case. What they are going to focus on instead are the issues at stake, like health care, George.
STEPHANOPOULOS: And Jon Karl, our chief White House correspondent, Judge Barrett making it clear where she stands right now. She says “His judicial philosophy,” speaking of Antonin Scalia, “is mine.” That’s a clear signal to conservatives she would lock in a conservative majority on the Supreme Court if confirmed. But one of the big questions is, will this put the Senate majority for Republicans at risk, this battle?
JON KARL: The Senate majority clearly something already at risk, George. And one reason that you see the Republicans pushing so quickly to get a confirmation before the election is that this is an election that could end the Republican majority, raising the possibility of a lame-duck confirmation with not just a lame-duck president, potentially, but a lame-duck Senate. So this will be an immense political battle over the coming weeks.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Jon Karl, thanks very much. The battle just beginning. A little over five weeks before Election Day. We’re gonna have much more on this tomorrow, on This Week. Have a good afternoon.
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