Joe Biden said voters deserve to know where he stands on expanding the Supreme Court – reversing a statement he made last week – but he again declined to give a definitive answer on whether he plans to install more liberal judges.
Speaking Thursday night at a town hall hosted by ABC News, the Democrat presidential candidate said his view on so-called court packing will be influenced by handling of the ongoing confirmation process for President Donald’s Trump’s current nominee to the court, Amy Coney Barrett.
“It depends on how this turns out – not how he wins, but how it’s handled,” Biden said. Asked by host George Stephanopoulos what he meant by “how it’s handled,” Biden said, “Is there real live debate on the floor? It depends on how much they rush this.”
Biden reverses, says voters do have a right to know his position on expanding the Supreme Court, says he will come out with a clear answer on his position before Election Day depending on how ACB nomination goes
Biden again decried Trump’s decision to nominate a replacement for the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg at a time when early voting for the Nov. 3 election has already begun. He said the Constitution “implies” that a court appointment shouldn’t be made once an election begins.
But then asked by Stephanopoulos if Americans “deserve to know” his plans on court packing before they vote – contrary to a statement Biden made in an Oct. 10 interview – the former vice president said yes.
“They do have a right to know, they have a right to know how I stand before they vote,” he said, apparently forgetting his earlier point that voting has already begun.
Joe Biden: “I’m open” to packing the Supreme Court #BidenTownHallpic.twitter.com/k4yTrSrjmO
Asked what he will do if Trump’s nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, is confirmed before the election, Biden again declined to give a definitive answer, saying “I’m open to considering what happens from that point on.” Pressed by Stephanopoulos if he would give an answer before election day, he said yes.
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