WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer is vowing that Democrats will not allow President Donald Trump to put “a right-winger” on the Supreme Court once they take power, raising the possibility that his party could block a presidential nominee if there is a vacancy in the next two years.

In an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, Schumer would not say if he would hold a Supreme Court vacancy open until after the next presidential election, as former Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell did in 2016. But he said that Democrats are “not going to allow any crappy nominees” to be confirmed to the Supreme Court — or to the lower courts or Trump’s Cabinet, either.

“The bottom line is we’re not going to allow a right-winger on the court,” Schumer said.

Schumer’s pledge came two days after Democrats won a decisive Senate majority in the midterm elections — a feat few predicted a year ago, when Schumer was facing intense criticism from progressives within his party and Senate Republicans were betting that a favorable map and backing from Trump would help them keep power.

While there is still frustration with Schumer in some corners of the party, the New Yorker is expected to easily be reelected as leader by his caucus after leading them to wins in Republican-leaning states across the country. Democrats could have as many as 56 seats in the Senate if they win Mississippi and Alaska, which still have not been called — “a durable majority,” Schumer predicts, that has been 20 years in the making as he has been directly or indirectly in charge of his party’s Senate campaign operation.

  • redditmodssucks@lemmy.world
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    2 hours ago

    Yes you will you fucking Israel paid jerkoff. How did all the others make it through their confirmations? Dems just acquiesce and it’s fucking insane. Kick the magas in the nuts while their down.

  • BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today
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    3 hours ago

    While there is still frustration with Schumer in some corners of the party, the New Yorker is expected to easily be reelected as leader by his caucus

    No, he has to go, NOW. The MAGA comedy act of Schmuck & Jeffries, has been onstage long enough. They allowed the rise and re-rise of MAGA, and they’ve done nothing to deserve a THIRD chance to fuck it up. If they blow it again, nothing less than a full blown Civil War will save us.

    They don’t deserve ANY credit for this win at all. This was all the voters. If anything, Schmuck could have gotten even more Senate seats, if wasn’t an idiot. He could have had Angi Nixon’s seat in Florida, but he wouldn’t give any money to a Progressive.

    Call and write your Senators and Reps, and tell them that we want NEW leadership that understands the mission. These two corrupt humps have their own agendas.

  • gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works
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    3 hours ago

    Tbh I expect the fascists to do a retirement swap in the few months they have left in power.

    Honestly the whole “lame duck” pattern in the US political system, at all levels of government, is a huge problem. It wasn’t as big a deal when people mostly acted in good faith and weren’t maliciously sore losers, but good faith is simply not present in our political system anymore.

  • decolo@piefed.social
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    7 hours ago

    While there is still frustration with Schumer in some corners of the party,

    there is frustration EVERYWHERE that’s not the office of an amoral career politician in DC

    “a durable majority,” Schumer predicts, that has been 20 years in the making as he has been directly or indirectly in charge of his party’s Senate campaign operation.

    Motherfucker you had less than nothing to do with this, you actively fought it

    altr

    and fuck you too Mary Clare Jalonick

  • aramis87@fedia.io
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    16 hours ago

    Schumer making statements trying to stave off demands for him to hand the reins to someone else.

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        15 hours ago

        Still absolutely determined to “do his job” - and effectively cut off any true accountability, meaningful change, and undermine momentum. These people don’t understand that (a) the fundamental rules have changed, and (b) both the people and the planet are running out of time.

    • we is doomed!@lemmy.world
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      14 hours ago

      mehhhh, he’s like Vance, a weathervane, he’ll change when it’s to his benefit, I think he seeing the writing on the wall… finally.

  • ms.lane@lemmy.world
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    11 hours ago

    Says the guy considered Hard Right in any other political circle.

    He’s genuinely further to the right than Tony Abbot and Scott Morrison… People we’d never ever consider anything other than hard-right in Australia.

  • ArgentRaven@lemmy.world
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    16 hours ago

    Fuck you, Schumer! The only thing you represent is money! I don’t trust him at all. He should not be in any position of authority or power

  • ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net
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    9 hours ago

    I can’t believe Alito and Roberts didn’t retire in time to be replaced by other fascists. I mean, I can, those people are overall very unlikely to relinquish power but damn, what a terrible fail on their side.

    • mctoasterson@reddthat.com
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      4 hours ago

      You could see a scenario where they pressure/rush Alito into retirement and force a replacement vote before the current Congress term ends. Not likely but possible. I think a more likely scenario unfortunately is that the parties take turns “reforming” the court every time they control the Senate and the Executive.

    • Kirp123@lemmy.world
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      8 hours ago

      I mean it’s something that both sides of the aisle have in common when it comes to the Supreme Court. Remember that Ruth Bader Ginsburg also refused to retire in 2013 when Obama could have named a Democratic judge to the SC.

      • ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net
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        4 hours ago

        Not just supreme court. Pelosi is about to retire at 86. Biden insisted on running for second term for so long he gave no time for Kamala to campaign. Feinstein served until she died even though she had severe dementia. All of those people love power so much they would rather die than let it go.