On Monday, conservative Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin (West Virginia) said that he would not support a Senate vote to confirm President Joe Biden’s pick for a Supreme Court seat if a vacancy opened up right before the 2024 presidential election.
Manchin was asked by reporters his thoughts on what he would do if another Supreme Court seat became available weeks before an election. claimed that it would be “hypocritical” for himVoting for a nominee should not be done in a rush, as he opposed Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination. This was confirmed by former President Donald Trump (and Republicans) just before the 2020 election.
“If it comes a week or two weeks before like it did with our last Supreme Court nominee, I think that’s a time it should go to the next election,” Manchin added.
The senator’s words provoked the ire of political commentators on social media, who believed that Manchin was referring to the upcoming 2022 midterm elections, rather than the presidential election in 2024.
“You can be Charlie Brown. Or you can be Lucy holding the football,” said Justin Baragona, a journalist for the media The Daily Beast. “Or you can be Joe Manchin, who is both.”
Manchin later clarified his remarks. “I was referring to that election, before a major presidential election,” Manchin told reporters.
Republicans have been guilty of acting in bad faith when it came to blocking or approving Supreme Court nominees. They blocked now-Attorney General Merrick Garland’s confirmation when former President Barack Obama nominated him in 2016 – ostensibly because it was an election year – but approved Barrett’s nomination directly before the 2020 election.
The Senate is currently working on a nomination to replace Justice Stephen Breyer who will be retiring at end of his term as Supreme Court justice. President Joe Biden has pledged to nominate a Black woman to fill the seat and is expected to name his first pick by the end of the month; Manchin has signaled that he will support Biden’s choice.
