🤹 Supreme Court Nominations: Obstruction and Precedent

The hosts discuss the unprecedented obstruction of a Supreme Court nomination during President Barack Obama's final year in office. Following Justice Scalia's death, President Obama nominated Merrick Garland, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to consider the nomination, arguing that the next president should fill the vacancy, despite the Constitution's clear directive for the sitting president to nominate. This decision, described by progressive scholars as dangerous and unprecedented, led to Garland's nomination expiring. The text further explains how this partisan conflict impacted the 2016 election and the subsequent Trump presidency, highlighting a contrasting situation where McConnell swiftly confirmed Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court in the final year of Trump's term.