dying on every hill

Criticism of Biden's SCOTUS pledge is 'rooted in white identity politics,' CNN's Brian Stelter says

Republicans critical of President Biden's decision to consider only Black female candidates for the Supreme Court seat vacated by retiring Justice Stephen Breyer are motivated by "white identity politics," CNN host Brian Stelter said on his show Reliable Sources on Sunday.

Stelter began by bemoaning the "state of high conflict" in which American political discourse is currently embroiled.

He went on to argue that Republicans have no good reason, beyond stoking outrage, to vigorously oppose Biden's nominee "since whoever the nominee is will not change the balance of the court."

"But let's be honest," Stelter continued. "Fox wants a fight. Right-wing radio and TV wants a fight. They need a fight over the Supreme Court! They're already starting a fight that's rooted in white identity politics."

Stelter also cited a piece by The Week's Peter Weber, who argued that although "[c]onservative judicial groups recognize that Democrats control the Senate and consider it a wash to replace Breyer with another liberal," Fox News "seems to be gearing up for a big fight."

One conservative commentator insisted, contra Stelter, that white identity politics had nothing to do with the opposition.

"Joe Biden has not made this pick yet. Joe Biden has eliminated any consideration of any judge of Asian or Hispanic ethnicity (among others!). The only person who made this about identity politics is Joe Biden," tweeted Stephen L. Miller, a contributing editor at The Spectator World who worked as a speechwriter for former President Donald Trump.

Biden's decision to consider only Black female candidates is deeply unpopular. According to a new ABC News/Ipsos poll, 76 percent of Americans say Biden should consider "all possible nominees," not just Black women. The poll surveyed 510 adults and has a margin of error of 4.9 percent.