Conservative groups don't see a big fight over Justice Breyer's replacement. Fox News suggests otherwise.
Placing conservative justices on the Supreme Court has been a top-priority, decades-long project for the conservative movement. "But a survey on Wednesday of some of the top officials and activists in that universe indicates that they aren't planning a vicious political fight over President Joe Biden's pick to replace retiring Justice Steven Breyer," Politico reports.
Conservative judicial groups recognize that Democrats control the Senate and consider it a wash to replace Breyer with another liberal, Politico reports. Their "scorched-earth tactics secured the 6-3 conservative majority," NBC News' Sahil Kapur tweeted. "Letting liberals keep one of the three without a pitched battle would be a low-cost concession that doesn't disrupt the movement's big plans."
That may be the initial thinking at the Federalist Society and among key Senate Republicans, but Fox News seems to be gearing up for a big fight.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Biden said on the campaign trail he would be "honored to appoint the first African American woman" to the Supreme Court. And the three judges identified by aides and allies as frontrunners — U.S. Circuit Court Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, U.S. District Judge J. Michelle Chiles, and California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger — are all Black women.
On the Fox News prime-time lineup, that's "affirmative action."
Considering only Black women is "identity politics," Tucker Carlson said. "The people it's designed to help are completely dehumanized and patronized, reduced to colors rather than human beings, and in some cases, the rest of us really crappy service, because the best people aren't being chosen."
Sean Hannity suggested it might be "unlawful" and "unconstitutional" to only consider judges of a certain race or gender.
There's certainly precedent for promising you will pick a female justice — both former President Ronald Reagan and former President Donald Trump did.
Laura Ingraham, meanwhile, took issue with the presumption that Biden would pick a reliable liberal for the seat.
"Adding a Black woman to the court would mean a series of firsts — four female justices and two Black justices serving at the same time on the nine-member court," The Associated Press reports. "Justice Clarence Thomas is the court's only Black justice and just the second ever, after Thurgood Marshall."
"Biden claims that his race-counting is essential so that the court and the rest of his administration 'looks like America,'" Carlson said Wednesday night. "Of all the lies that Joe Biden tells, this could be the easiest to check. We have the latest census numbers, and we can promise you with dead certainty that Joe Biden's nominees look nothing like America.'"
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
'Republicans want to silence Israel's opponents'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Poland, Germany nab alleged anti-Ukraine spies
Speed Read A man was arrested over a supposed Russian plot to kill Ukrainian President Zelenskyy
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - April 19, 2024
Cartoons Friday's cartoons - priority delivery, USPS on fire, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Poland, Germany nab alleged anti-Ukraine spies
Speed Read A man was arrested over a supposed Russian plot to kill Ukrainian President Zelenskyy
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Israel hits Iran with retaliatory airstrike
Speed Read The attack comes after Iran's drone and missile barrage last weekend
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Is there a peaceful way forward for Israel and Iran?
Today's Big Question Tehran has initially sought to downplay the latest Israeli missile strike on its territory
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Peter Murrell: Sturgeon's husband charged over SNP 'embezzlement' claims
Speed Read SNP expresses 'shock' as former chief executive rearrested in long-running investigation into claims of mishandled campaign funds
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
In what states is abortion legal, illegal, and in limbo?
In The Spotlight Where American states stand on abortion care
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
How could the Supreme Court's Fischer v. US case impact the other Jan 6. trials including Trump's?
Today's Big Question A former Pennsylvania cop might hold the key to a major upheaval in how the courts treat the Capitol riot — and its alleged instigator
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Mark Menzies: Tories investigate MP after 'bad people' cash claims
Speed Read Fylde MP will sit as an independent while party looks into allegations he misused campaign funds on medical expenses and blackmail pay-out
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Why Johnson won't just pass Ukraine aid
Speed Read The House Speaker could have sent $60 billion in military aid to Ukraine — but it would have split his caucus
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published