With Senate Democrats in the minority and helpless to stop President Trump and Senate Republicans from confirming the next nominee to the Supreme Court, ABC’s World News Tonight and NBC Nightly News spent a portion of Thursday’s broadcasts looking to a few marquee, moderate GOP Senators to block whatever nominee was put forward. They were also worried of red state Democrats who would cross the aisle.
“Republicans are planning to rush-- push through the confirmation process for the President’s Supreme Court nominee and despite their majority in the Senate, a few key Republicans could make a very close confirmation vote,” announced anchor Lester Holt.
NBC congressional correspondent Kasie Hunt appeared shocked Republicans would try to get a nominee confirmed at all and even seemed to suggest they might lose control of the Senate because of it. “Republicans planning to hold a confirmation vote before the midterm elections, refusing Democratic demands for a delay,” she whined. “Even though they could lose control of the Senate in November.”
What Hunt suggested made no sense. For months, the liberal media have been predicting a “blue wave” so massive the GOP would lose control of the House and possibly the Senate. So, with using their divination, wouldn’t it make more sense for the GOP Senators to confirm someone because they were going to lose everything?
Looking at how moderate Republicans could put the kibosh on a conservative nominee, Hunt emphatically described how close the vote was. “[I]t will come down to a half dozen critical Senators,” she said after noting Arizona Republican Senator John McCain’s likely absence for medical reasons. “On the Republican side, Senator Jeff Flake has often opposed the President and Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins are concerned about whether the court will uphold abortion rights.”
The next part of the legislative equation was making sure red state Democrats wouldn’t defect like some did with Justice Neil Gorsuch’s nomination.
“Do you think voters in West Virginia want to see you vote for President Trump's nominee,” Hunt obnoxiously asked West Virginia Democratic Senator Joe Manchin. “You know, I think they want me to do my job, I would hope so, Kasie,” he told her. “My job is to make sure that the best person with the best qualifications gets that position.”
Meanwhile, on ABC, chief foreign correspondent and longtime Supreme Court reporter Terry Moran found “tremendous pressure on the two pro-choice Republican women Senators, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Maine's Susan Collins.”
He also warned Democrats that if they wanted “any chance of blocking a nomination, they can't afford to lose a single vote…” “[B]ut now three Democrats up for re-election in states Trump won are feeling the heat,” he added, alluding to Indiana's Joe Donnelly, Manchin, and North Dakota's Heidi Heitkamp.
In wrapping up her report, NBC's Hunt lamented that “there is next to nothing that Democrats can do to stop this[.]” And she noted that the White House’s recent attempts to get Murkowski and Collins on board was “a sign that the White House knows just how critical they are going to be to the knockdown, drag-out fight ahead.”
The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
ABC's World News Tonight
June 28, 2018
6:39:51 PM Eastern [39 Seconds](…)
TERRY MORAN: Now, with Trump ready to deliver, there's tremendous pressure on the two pro-choice Republican women Senators, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Maine's Susan Collins.
MAINE REPUBLICAN SENATOR SUSAN COLLINS: Roe v. Wade is an important precedent and it is settled law.
MORAN: If Democrats have any chance of blocking a nomination, they can't afford to lose a single vote, but now three Democrats up for re-election in states Trump won are feeling the heat. They all voted to confirm Neil Gorsuch, but that didn't stop the President from attacking one of them, North Dakota's Heidi Heitkamp, in her own backyard last night.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Heidi will vote “no” to any pick we make for the Supreme Court.
(…)
NBC Nightly News
June 28, 2018
7:08:02 PM Eastern [1 minute 49 seconds]LESTER HOLT: And Republicans are planning to rush-- push through the confirmation process for the President’s Supreme Court nominee and despite their majority in the Senate, a few key Republicans could make a very close confirmation vote. Congressional correspondent Kasie Hunt has details.
[Cuts to video]
PROTESTORS: Ditch the list! Ditch the list!
KASIE HUNT: The summer battle over President Trump's Supreme Court nominee already heating up in the Senate.
ALASKA REPUBLICAN SENATOR LISA MURKOWSKI: I don't think that we have a nominee yet.
HUNT: Republicans planning to hold a confirmation vote before the midterm elections, refusing Democratic demands for a delay.
TEXAS REPUBLICAN SENATOR JOHN CORNYN: Ain't going to happen.
HUNT: Even though they could lose control of the Senate in November.
CORNYN: The Earth could end tomorrow. You know, it's not a good excuse.
HUNT: There are 51 Republicans in the Senate and the President needs 50 votes to confirm his nominee. With John McCain home in Arizona battling brain cancer and unable to vote, it will come down to a half dozen critical Senators. On the Republican side, Senator Jeff Flake has often opposed the President and Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins are concerned about whether the court will uphold abortion rights.
MAINE REPUBLICAN SENATOR SUSAN COLLINS: From my perspective, Roe v. Wade is an important precedent and it is settled law.
HUNT: On the Democratic side, Heidi Heitkamp, Joe Donnelly, and Joe Manchin are all up for reelection in red states. Do you think voters in West Virginia want to see you vote for President Trump's nominee?
WEST VIRGINIA DEMOCRATIC SENATOR JOE MANCHIN: You know, I think they want me to do my job, I would hope so, Kasie. My job is to make sure that the best person with the best qualifications gets that position.
[Cuts back to live]
HUNT: There is next to nothing that Democrats can do to stop this and NBC News tonight has learned that the top White House lawyer Don McGahn has called both Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski to discuss the vacancy. A sign that the White House knows just how critical they are going to be to the knockdown, drag-out fight ahead. Lester.
HOLT: Kasie Hunt at the Capitol tonight, thanks.
