Quotes by Senator Lindsey Graham on Confirming Supreme Court Nominations
#LindseyGraham 4/20/16: "Let the voters have a say about…the next Supreme Court justice." » #Graham 9/19/20: " I will support President @realDonaldTrump…regarding the recent vacancy created by the passing of Justice Ginsburg." Click To Tweet
Quotes by Senator Lindsey Graham on Confirming Supreme Court Nominations
THEN
2016 - 2018

Judiciary Committee Republicans to McConnell: No Hearings on Supreme Court Nomination
Feb 23, 2016
“Dear Majority Leader McConnell,
“As we write, we are in the midst of a great national debate over the course our country will take in the coming years. The Presidential election is well underway. Americans have already begun to cast their votes. As we mourn the tragic loss of Justice Antonin Scalia, and celebrate his life’s work, the American people are presented with an exceedingly rare opportunity to decide, in a very real and concrete way, the direction the Court will take over the next generation. We believe The People should have this opportunity.
“Over the last few days, much has been written about the constitutional power to fill Supreme Court vacancies, a great deal of it inaccurate. Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution is clear. The President may nominate judges of the Supreme Court. But the power to grant, or withhold, consent to such nominees rests exclusively with the United States Senate. This is not a difficult or novel constitutional question. As Minority Leader Harry Reid observed in 2005, ‘The duties of the Senate are set forth in the U.S. Constitution. Nowhere in that document does it say the Senate has a duty to give the Presidential nominees a vote. It says appointments shall be made with the advice and consent of the Senate. That is very different than saying every nominee receives a vote.’
“We intend to exercise the constitutional power granted the Senate under Article II, Section 2 to ensure the American people are not deprived of the opportunity to engage in a full and robust debate over the type of jurist they wish to decide some of the most critical issues of our time. Not since 1932 has the Senate confirmed in a presidential election year a Supreme Court nominee to a vacancy arising in that year. And it is necessary to go even further back — to 1888 — in order to find an election year nominee who was nominated and confirmed under divided government, as we have now.
“Accordingly, given the particular circumstances under which this vacancy arises, we wish to inform you of our intention to exercise our constitutional authority to withhold consent on any nominee to the Supreme Court submitted by this President to fill Justice Scalia’s vacancy. Because our decision is based on constitutional principle and born of a necessity to protect the will of the American people, this Committee will not hold hearings on any Supreme Court nominee until after our next President is sworn in on January 20, 2017.”
Sincerely,
Chuck Grassley
Orrin Hatch
Jeff Sessions
Lindsey Graham
John Cornyn
Mike Lee
Ted Cruz
Jeff Flake
David Vitter
David Perdue
Thom Tillis
- Feb 23, 2016
Office of US Senator Lindsey Graham, Feb 23, 2016
Graham: No Hearing, No Vote On Obama Supreme Court Nominee
___________
- March 10, 2016
National Public Radio, Sept 19, 2020
Sen. Lindsey Graham (3/10/16): "I want you to use my words against me. If there’s a Republican president in 2016 and a vacancy occurs in the last year of the first term, you can say Lindsey Graham said let’s let the next president, whoever it might be, make that nomination." pic.twitter.com/4aMCyGjv5c — CSPAN (@cspan) September 19, 2020
'Use My Words Against Me': Lindsey Graham's Shifting Position On Court Vacancies
- April 20, 2016
The Hill, April 20, 2016
I just met with Judge Garland. pic.twitter.com/gScIsrp8CB — Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) April 20, 2016
After meeting Garland, Graham stands by Supreme Court strategy
“Now I’ll tell you this. This may make you feel better, but I really don’t care. If an opening comes in the last year of President Trump’s term, and the primary process has started, we’ll wait until the next election.”
- Oct 3, 2018
The Hill, Oct 3, 2018
Sen. Lindsey Graham justifies his treatment of Merrick Garland: "If an opening comes in the last year of President Trump's term, and the primary process has started, we'll wait to the next election" pic.twitter.com/E8N7a8IlIG — Yahoo News (@YahooNews) October 3, 2018
Graham says he'd hold Supreme Court seat open if there is a vacancy in last year of Trump's term
#LindseyGraham 4/10/16: "If…a vacancy occurs in the last year of the first term…let’s let the next president, whoever it might be, make that nomination.’" » #Graham 9/19/20: " I’m dead set on confirming @realDonaldTrump’s nominee." Click To Tweet
NOW
2020

May 16, 2020 -
The Hill, May 16, 2020
Graham on potential Supreme Court vacancy: 'This would be a different circumstance' than Merrick Garland
May 28, 2020 -
Hugh Hewitt Show (via Washington Post), RefDATE
May 28, 2020 HUGH HEWITT: [If a vacancy occurred] would successors be confirmed before the election? LINDSEY GRAHAM: I think that would be the goal. … So if a vacancy did occur … you would see an effort by Republicans, I’m sure, to fill the vacancy. pic.twitter.com/VlfU1jnexo — JM Rieger (@RiegerReport) September 19, 2020
The GOP senators who will decide on Ginsburg’s vacancy
July 20, 2020 -
CNN, July 21, 2020
Republican leaders vow to fill a potential Supreme Court vacancy this year, despite some apprehension
Aug 3, 2020 -
NBC News, Aug 3, 2020
Democrats warn GOP: Don't fill a Supreme Court vacancy in 2020 or we'll retaliate
Sept 19, 2020 -
I fully understand where President @realDonaldTrump is coming from. https://t.co/qlhtEwTCdX
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) September 19, 2020
#1
* Harry Reid changed the rules to allow a simple majority vote for Circuit Court nominees dealing out the minority.
* Chuck Schumer and his friends in the liberal media conspired to destroy the life of Brett Kavanaugh and hold that Supreme Court seat open.
#2
In light of these two events, I will support President @realDonaldTrump in any effort to move forward regarding the recent vacancy created by the passing of Justice Ginsburg.”
Sept 19, 2020 -
The two biggest changes regarding the Senate and judicial confirmations that have occurred in the last decade have come from Democrats.
#1
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) September 19, 2020
<* Harry Reid changed the rules to allow a simple majority vote for Circuit Court nominees dealing out the minority. * Chuck Schumer and his friends in the liberal media conspired to destroy the life of Brett Kavanaugh and hold that Supreme Court seat open. #2
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) September 19, 2020
In light of these two events, I will support President @realDonaldTrump in any effort to move forward regarding the recent vacancy created by the passing of Justice Ginsburg.
#3
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) September 19, 2020
Sept 19, 2020 -
I stand by what I said in Jan. 2019: Harry Reid & Chuck Schumer changed Senate rules to try and stack the courts for Obama. Now it's coming back to haunt them as I predicted. I'm dead set on confirming @realDonaldTrump’s nominee. If you stand with me: https://t.co/MYF6qgyjdI pic.twitter.com/lsejlSs0QQ
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) September 19, 2020
“Being lectured by Democrats about how to handle judicial nominations is like an arsonist advising the Fire Department.
“Democrats chose to set in motion rules changes to stack the court at the Circuit level and they chose to try to destroy Brett Kavanaugh‘s life to keep the Supreme Court seat open.
“You reap what you sow.”
Sept 20, 2020 -
Being lectured by Democrats about how to handle judicial nominations is like an arsonist advising the Fire Department.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) September 20, 2020
Democrats chose to set in motion rules changes to stack the court at the Circuit level and they chose to try to destroy Brett Kavanaugh’s life to keep the Supreme Court seat open.
You reap what you sow.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) September 20, 2020
#LindseyGraham 10/3/18: "If an opening comes in the last year of President Trump’s term, and the primary process has started, we’ll wait until the next election." » #Graham 9/19/20: "I’m dead set on confirming @realDonaldTrump’s nominee." Click To Tweet