Perspectives: Filling Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Supreme Court Seat

Some officials are pushing to fill the Supreme Court vacancy after Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed of complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer on Friday. Ginsburg's vacant seat gives Republicans an opportunity to impact the Supreme Court by filling the key position; one of Ginsburg's reported last wishes was dictated to her granddaughter: "My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed." The Democrats’ call to hold off on filling the seat until January was met by mixed response from Republicans, some who support waiting and others who think they should move forward. At a rally on Saturday night, President Donald Trump said he would nominate a woman for the seat some time next week. Joe Biden condemned a push to fast track Trump's nomination during a Philadelphia address on Sunday. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told his colleagues Saturday that “everything Americans value is at stake” and warned of possible payback if Republicans fill Ginsburg’s seat before January. Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., requested Republicans honor a precedent he says they set in 2016 by blocking then-President Barack Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland because it was an election year. Coverage from all sides of the political spectrum tended to focus on the partisan battle the vacancy has created. Coverage the left tended to frame Trump's nomination and McConnell's vow to hold a vote as a Republican push to fill the seat; left-rated outlets also tended to highlight Ginsburg's last statement, as well as the 2016 precedent. Coverage from the right tended to highlight Trump's decision to nominate a woman to fill the seat, as well as speculation as to who that person might be.