Donald Trump’s reelection is already on thin ice as Joe Biden continues to hold a strong, steady lead nationally and in key battleground states that will decide the election.
But in the wake of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death, Trump’s chances could sink even further if he tries to ram through an anti-choice Supreme Court nominee before the November election.
As Cook Political Report’s Dave Wasserman pointed out on Saturday, more than a fifth of Trump’s support in key battleground states in 2016 came from pro-choice voters.
Although Trump downplayed abortion in 2016, voters w/ mostly pro-choice attitudes made up more than a fifth of his support in plenty of battleground states:
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25% in Iowa
24% in Florida
24% in Pennsylvania
24% in Michigan
21% in Arizona
20% in Wisconsin
20% in Ohio— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) September 19, 2020
Ramming through a Supreme Court nominee who will overturn Roe v. Wade – especially with 45 days to go until the November election – will give Democrats the opportunity to win back these voters.
It will also completely undercut one of Trump’s central campaign arguments: that he’s trying to drain the swamp.
Now, there may actually be an opportunity for Dems to win back many of these voters by tying Trump to the “DC swamp:” Mitch McConnell and Rs who want to “end Roe v. Wade, cut more taxes for billionaires” etc.
In fact, Biden is *already* winning many of these blue-collar voters.
— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) September 19, 2020
The Republican Senate majority could crumble, too
Not only could fast-tracking a Supreme Court confirmation before the election backfire on Donald Trump, but it could bring down the Republican Senate majority as well.
Stuart Stevens of the Lincoln Project even predicted on Saturday that “Mitch McConnell is going to lose the Senate” if he tries to fill Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat before the November election.
“Mitch McConnell is going to lose the Senate if they go forward with this.” – Stuart Stevens of the Lincoln Project on the GOP push to fill Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Supreme Court seat. pic.twitter.com/jy7e7FrSbD
— PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) September 19, 2020
If Republicans try to fill a vacant Supreme Court seat before Americans vote, it could cost them the White House and their Senate majority.
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Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.