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Trump, Donald

Senator Tom Cotton Defends Supreme Court Nomination Process, Questioned on Roe v. Wade

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Senator Tom Cotton appeared on CNN's "State of the Union" on September 27, 2020, where he was questioned by Jake Tapper about his stance on the Supreme Court nomination process and his views on Roe v. Wade. Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, expressed confidence in the Senate's ability to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court despite Democratic vows to "fight" the nomination.

Key Takeaways:

  • Senator Tom Cotton stated that he is confident in the Senate's ability to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, citing a "clear mandate" from the 2018 election.
  • Cotton argued that the timing of the nomination is not as crucial as the fact that the voters have spoken, pointing to the 2018 election as evidence of the public's support for a Republican Senate to continue confirming President Trump's judicial nominees.
  • When questioned about his 2016 stance on the importance of allowing the voters to weigh in on the makeup of the Supreme Court, Cotton responded that the situation is different now due to the "split decision" delivered by the voters in 2018.
  • Cotton expressed his opposition to Roe v. Wade and stated that he believes Judge Barrett should be forthright about her views on the issue, although he clarified that he cannot speculate about hypothetical cases.
  • The senator also defended President Trump's statement on a peaceful transfer of power, stating that the president was not committing to concede in advance and that the Democrats should be pressed on whether they will accept a loss in November.

Statistics:

  • The Senate will confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court next month (Cotton, September 27, 2020).
  • In 2018, the voters reelected a Republican majority in the Senate, expanding the Republican majority and defeating four Democratic senators (Cotton, September 27, 2020).
  • 38% of Americans believe that whoever is elected on November 3 should pick the Supreme Court justice, while 55% believe that the current justice should be allowed to serve out their term (poll mentioned by Jake Tapper, but not specified by source or date).

Sources:

  • SENATOR TOM COTTON, R-ARKANSAS, CNN INTERVIEW WITH JAKE TAPPER, SEPT. 27, 2020, []

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