Obama says he nominated Merrick Garland because he has 'unimpeachable credentials'

President Obama chose to nominate Merrick Garland to fill the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's seat because of his "unimpeachable credentials," he told BuzzFeed News in a live interview Monday.

"He has by all accounts conducted himself fairly, judiciously," Obama told legal editor Chris Geidner. "He works well with people, very well. He's wicked smart. Even Republicans compliment him and say he's a great judge."

Obama noted that 15 Republican senators have already met with Garland, and had faith that more would continue to do so.

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"[Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell] just in knee-jerk fashion said, 'We're not going to vote on it' despite there being no precedent for it," the president said. "Now what we have is a situation where, having made that promise, Republicans are looking at a Republican nominee who many of them say isn't qualified to be president, much less appoint somebody."

But Obama was careful to clarify that having Donald Trump's presumptive Republican presidential nomination potentially move the ball forward on confirming Garland isn't a situation he had hoped for.

"I think that our country is better off when the Democratic nominee for the presidency and the Republican nominee are both qualified to be president and can be effective," he said.

Watch the full interview below. Julie Kliegman