Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., on Sunday tried to shut down Beltway musings that President Obama’s latest pick for the Supreme Court could still find a way to be confirmed in the lame duck session if Hillary Clinton wins the election.
When asked whether he would completely rule out a “lame duck scenario” for Obama’s nominee, Judge Merrick Garland, McConnell told Chuck Todd on NBC’s “Meet the Press”: “We’re not going to be confirming a judge to the Supreme Court under this president.”
When pushed on the possibility that someone more liberal than Garland could be nominated in 2017 if Hillary Clinton wins the presidency, McConnell responded, “It’d be hard to be more liberal than Merrick Garland, but it’s my hope that she will not be making the appointment.”
Read more from our partners at NBC News
More Must-Reads From TIME
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- Coco Gauff Is Playing for Herself Now
- Scenes From Pro-Palestinian Encampments Across U.S. Universities
- 6 Compliments That Land Every Time
- If You're Dating Right Now , You're Brave: Column
- The AI That Could Heal a Divided Internet
- Fallout Is a Brilliant Model for the Future of Video Game Adaptations
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at letters@time.com