kennedy retires
Republicans are already running ads pressuring Democrats to vote for Trump's eventual Supreme Court nominee
Republicans have hit the ground running following Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy's announcement of his retirement on Wednesday. While many critics have pointed to the irony of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) calling for a smooth and unobstructed hearing for President Trump's eventual nominee, a nonprofit aligned with McConnell has already begun its ad blitz to put pressure on senators who might be on the fence, Politico Playbook reports.
The $100,000 buy covers advertisements in 10 states, including West Virginia, North Dakota, and Indiana, where centrist Democrats Joe Manchin, Heidi Heitkamp, and Joe Donnelly respectively will be facing pressure to join the Republican bloc when the nominee comes to a vote. An ad also targets vulnerable Florida Sen. Bill Nelson (D), warning voters in the Sunshine State that "the far left will stop at nothing to block President Trump's choice."
"Sen. Bill Nelson voted against Justice Neil Gorsuch the last time," it goes on. "Will he cave to the extreme left again?" Watch the spot below. Jeva Lange