Mere moments after the news of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death at age 87 on Friday, the liberal media were trying to spin her legacy on the court and gaslight the American people. Seconds into his NBC Nightly News report recalling her life and work, chief Justice correspondent Pete Williams claimed she “was consistently one of the U.S. Supreme Court’s moderate to liberal members.” In reality, she was just a liberal hardliner.
In leading into the breaking news at the end of the program, anchor Lester Holt fondly remembered her as the “anchor” of “the court’s liberal wing.” That’s a long way off from what Williams claimed. Here’s Holt’s announcement:
Good evening, everyone. We are coming on the air with breaking news. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died. Ginsburg, who was 87, the court's oldest justice and served more than a quarter-century. Appointed by Bill Clinton in 1993, just the second woman after Sandra Day O’Connor to serve on the nation's highest court. Ginsburg became an iconic figure in American life, a tireless advocate for women's rights, and a reliable anchor to the court's liberal wing.
“Her death coming after multiple health problems in recent years, will now certainly trigger an epic struggle over a replacement with the ideological makeup of the court itself in the balance, all during an election year,” he warned viewers, clearly fearful of a solidly conservative Supreme Court.
While we lived in a time where conservative Supreme Court nominations would be sunk or highly damaged if they proclaimed their views on abortion, Williams praised Ginsburg’s liberal voting record on the issue:
WILLIAMS: At the confirmation hearing, she clearly stated her support for the right to abortion.
RUTH BADER GINSBURG: This is something central to a woman's life, to her dignity.
WILLIAMS: And as a justice, she voted to uphold abortion rights.
Aside from worrying about how the Supreme Court’s next session would proceed seeing as they’re scheduled to pick up again the first week of October, Williams was concerned about President Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) doing their Constitutional duty to fill the vacancy.
“What will happen now that there's a vacancy,” he wondered. “President Trump has said that he would nominate a successor and Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader of the Senate has said that they would try to act on a confirmation for a successor.”
Williams was holding out for weaker Senate Republicans to break with McConnell. “And secondly, assuming that President Trump does nominate someone and the Senate tries to act on it, does the Senate have the votes,” he rhetorically asked. “Remember how close it was with Brett Kavanaugh. They may or may not have the votes of some of the people who were on the edge.”
Events have shown Williams and the rest of the liberal media did have something to fear.
Shortly before 9:00 p.m. Eastern, McConnell’s office released a statement on Twitter mourning Ginsburg’s passing but promising to hold a floor vote on whichever Supreme Court nominee Trump put forward.
NBC’s revisionist history with Justice Ginsburg’s liberal legacy was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Volkswagen and Ford Motor Company. Their contact information is linked so you can tell them about the biased news they’re funding.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
NBC Nightly News
September 18, 2020
7:52:53 p.m. EasternLESTER HOLT: Good evening, everyone. We are coming on the air with breaking news. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died. Ginsburg, who was 87, the court's oldest justice and served more than a quarter-century. Appointed by Bill Clinton in 1993, just the second woman after Sandra Day O’Connor to serve on the nation's highest court. Ginsburg became an iconic figure in American life, a tireless advocate for women's rights, and a reliable anchor to the court's liberal wing.
Her death coming after multiple health problems in recent years, will now certainly trigger an epic struggle over a replacement with the ideological makeup of the court itself in the balance, all during an election year. Justice correspondent Pete Williams looks back on a remarkable life.
[Cut to video]
PETE WILLIAMS: Ruth Bader Ginsburg was consistently one of the U.S. Supreme Court’s moderate to liberal members. First as a lawyer and then a judge and a justice, she believed the Constitution guaranteed women greater rights.
(…)
WILLIAMS: At the confirmation hearing, she clearly stated her support for the right to abortion.
RUTH BADER GINSBURG: This is something central to a woman's life, to her dignity.
WILLIAMS: And as a justice, she voted to uphold abortion rights. She wrote the court's opinion putting an end to the men's only policy at VMI, the Virginia Military Institute saying it was based on outmoded stereotypes. She joined the court's majorities in striking down the death penalty for juveniles and in ruling that, quote, “death is not a suitable punishment for a mentally retarded criminal.” She also voted to roll back Bush administration policies in the war on terror. A blistering opinion in a case about equal lay for women, renewed the standing as a feminist icon.
(…)
WILLIAMS: She was nicknamed Notorious RBG, a play on a rapper's name and featured in a documentary movie.
(…)
[Cuts back to live
HOLT: And again, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dead tonight at age 87. Let's go live now to Pete Williams in the Washington newsroom. Pete, what more can you tell us?
WILLIAMS: Well, this is a time obviously for looking back at her career, but Lester we can't help but look forward too, to what happens now with the Supreme Court term ready to start in just two weeks, the first Monday in October, the usual start for the Supreme Court term.
What will happen now that there's a vacancy? President Trump has said that he would nominate a successor and Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader of the Senate has said that they would try to act on a confirmation for a successor.
The question is, I guess, two questions. One is, can the Congress do this in time while -- before the election in who knows what will happen? And secondly, assuming that President Trump does nominate someone and the Senate tries to act on it, does the Senate have the votes? Remember how close it was with Brett Kavanaugh. They may or may not have the votes of some of the people who were on the edge. Lester?
HOLT: We are entering an interesting time to say the least. Pete Williams. Again, the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as we are in the shadow and final countdown to a presidential election. There's going to be a lot to talk about, a lot to cover. We'll, of course, be all over it. In the meantime, we'll be on with further updates as warranted but I'm Lester Holt, NBC News, New York. Good evening.
