--- title: Mitch McConnell Says He'd Fill a Supreme Court Seat in 2020 description: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he would fill a potential Supreme Court vacancy if one were to arise in 2020 canonical: https://time.com/5597395/mitch-mcconnell-supreme-court-2020/ author: Hillary Leung article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2019-05-29T05:59:20.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T23:37:14.120Z article:section: Politics og:title: Mitch McConnell Says He'd Fill a Supreme Court Seat in 2020 og:description: In contrast, the Republican blocked President Obama's nominee in 2016 og:url: https://time.com/5597395/mitch-mcconnell-supreme-court-2020/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf40c73646ce5fe44/69894a8b7cdbac2f77d5f972/mitch-mcconnell.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: mitch-mcconnell.jpg og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Mitch McConnell Says He'd Fill a Supreme Court Seat in 2020 twitter:description: In contrast, the Republican blocked President Obama's nominee in 2016 twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf40c73646ce5fe44/69894a8b7cdbac2f77d5f972/mitch-mcconnell.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 'Oh, We'd Fill It.' 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Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. by [Hillary Leung](https://time.com/author/hillary-leung/) ## Hillary Leung May 29, 2019 5:59 AM UTC  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell following a weekly policy luncheon in Washington, D.C. on April 2, 2019. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell following a weekly policy luncheon in Washington, D.C. on April 2, 2019. Zach Gibson—Getty Images by [Hillary Leung](https://time.com/author/hillary-leung/) ## Hillary Leung May 29, 2019 5:59 AM UTC Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday that he would work with President Donald Trump to [fill a Supreme Court vacancy](https://edition.cnn.com/2019/05/28/politics/mitch-mcconnell-supreme-court-2020/index.html) should one arise during next year’s presidential election, CNN reports. The comments marked a reversal from his position in 2016, when he moved to block a nomination by then-President Barack Obama. The question was posed by an attendee of a [speaking appearance](https://www.wpsdlocal6.com/2019/05/28/livestream-senate-majority-leader-mitch-mcconnell-speaks-at-paducah-chamber-luncheon/) at the Paducah Chamber of Commerce luncheon in Kentucky, a video of which was shared on the local WPSD TV website. “Should a Supreme Court justice die next year, what will your position be on filling that spot?” the attendee asked. After a pause, McConnell answered, “Oh, we’d fill it.” Triggering laughter from the audience, he added that doing so would be the best way to ensure a “long-lasting positive impact” in the U.S. and that following the law is “the most important thing we’ve done in the country.” In March 2016, the senator refused to consider Obama’s nominee, Merrick Garland, when a seat was left vacant following the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. He said then that the Republican-controlled senate would not confirm a nomination until the next president assumed office. The seat went unfilled until Trump nominated Neil Gorsuch, who was [sworn in](http://time.com/5323962/anthony-kennedy-retirement-mitch-mcconnell-merrick-garland/) in April 2017. McConnell’s comments infuriated Democrats, who were quick to recall his move three years ago. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer [called](https://twitter.com/SenSchumer/status/1133563296869691392) McConnell a “hypocrite” on Twitter and that McConnell “lives for GOP judges” because he sees control of the courts as the only way Republican agenda can be achieved. > [](https://twitter.com/SenSchumer/status/1133563296869691392) Democratic presidential hopeful Julian Castro called his “shamelessness at stealing a Supreme Court seat” is “appalling.” > [](https://twitter.com/JulianCastro/status/1133556119597715457) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5597395/mitch-mcconnell-supreme-court-2020/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5597395/mitch-mcconnell-supreme-court-2020/"},"headline":"'Oh, We'd Fill It.' 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