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McConnell and Trump Plotted Barrett Nomination on the Night Ginsburg Died, Says Report

Former chief of staff told PBS “Frontline” that the Senate majority leader issued instructions to the president as soon as news broke that Ginsburg died.

When the rest of America was still in shock at the news that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had died at age 87, Sen. Mitch McConnell had already launched his plan to replace her. According to a report from PBS’ Frontline, the Senate majority leader called President Donald Trump on the night of Ginsburg’s death to issue his instructions. “McConnell told [Trump] two things,” Josh Holmes, McConnell’s former chief of staff, told PBS. “McConnell said, first, I’m going to put out a statement that says we’re going to fill the vacancy. Second, he said, you’ve gotta nominate Amy Coney Barrett.” After Ginsburg’s death, her granddaughter released a statement saying that the justice’s “most fervent wish” was that her seat not be filled before a new president took office. After the 2016 death of Justice Antonin Scalia, McConnell refused to consider Obama nominee Merrick Garland for more than eight months before the presidential election.