Cornyn: "Of course" Senate would confirm SCOTUS pick in lame-duck session if Biden wins
Cornyn speaks during the Senate Select Intelligence Committee hearing. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) told CNN on Monday that "of course" Senate Republicans would confirm President Trump's Supreme Court nominee in a lame-duck session even if Joe Biden wins the November election.
Why it matters: Democrats need only two more Republican senators to oppose voting on a Supreme Court nominee before the election to force Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to hold a vote in the lame-duck session of Congress.
- If Trump loses the election and Democrats take control of the Senate, there will be be enormous pressure on Republicans to defer to the incoming winners.
What they're saying: Asked whether the Senate would confirm a Trump nominee in a lame-duck session if Biden wins the presidency, Cornyn responded: "You mean while we're still in our term office, and President Trump is? Of course."
Go deeper: Where key GOP senators stand on replacing Ruth Bader Ginsburg