Dozens Gather Outside Sen. Lindsey Graham's House To Protest Supreme Court Hypocrisy

Dozens of demonstrators gathered outside Republican Sen. Lindsey Grahams home in Washington on Monday to protest his support for a Senate vote on President Donald Trump s Supreme Court nominee ahead of the election.

Democrats have condemned the South Carolina senator and other Republicans for flip-flopping on their opposition to filling a Supreme Court vacancy during a presidential election year. In 2016, Graham supported Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells decision to block Senate consideration of Merrick Garland, then-President Barack Obama s pick to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia.

But Graham, who now chairs the key Judiciary Committee, appeared to change his tune following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Friday, saying he would support Trump in any effort to move forward in filling her seat.

Trump said on Monday that hed announce his nomination Friday or Saturday, and that a Senate vote on his nominee should happen before the Nov. 3 election.

Protesters on Monday showed up to Grahams townhouse around 6 a.m., where they banged drums, blared air horns and demanded that he oppose a Supreme Court confirmation vote before Election Day.

We cant sleep so neither should Lindsey, read one sign held by a protester. Other signs in the crowd labeled Graham a two-faced coward and a hypocrite.

Its unclear whether Graham was inside the house during the demonstration, which was organized by Shut Down DC and the Washington chapter of the Sunrise Movement, two groups focused on tackling the climate crisis.

Protestors standing on the lawn of Sen. Grahams home #getupdc @wusa9 #SupremeCourtJustice pic.twitter.com/OP2lEvFpTM

Matt Gregory (@MattGregoryNews) September 21, 2020","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Matt Gregory","author_url":"https://twitter.com/MattGregoryNews","cache_age":86400,"description":"Protestors standing on the lawn of Sen. 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Protestors standing on the lawn of Sen. Grahams home #getupdc @wusa9 #SupremeCourtJustice pic.twitter.com/OP2lEvFpTM
Matt Gregory (@MattGregoryNews) September 21, 2020

Trump and many of his Republican allies have called for a swift confirmation of his nominee to the Supreme Court. Ginsburg was one of the courts most liberal judges, making Republicans eager to fill her seat with a conservative. If they succeed, the court will have a 6-3 conservative majority.

Hours after Ginsburgs death, McConnell said Trumps nominee would receive a vote on the Senate floor.

When Scalia died in 2016, McConnell blocked Garland from receiving a hearing in the Senate, claiming the winner of the 2016 presidential election should pick the nominee. Scalia died 269 days before the 2016 presidential election. Ginsburg died 46 days before the 2020 presidential election.

Graham stood by McConnells decision in 2016, stating at the time that he strongly supports giving the American people a voice in choosing the next Supreme Court nominee by electing a new president.

I want you to use my words against me, Graham said at the time. If theres a Republican president in 2016 and a vacancy occurs in the last year of the first term, you can say Lindsey Graham said, Lets let the next president, whoever it might be, make that nomination. And you could use my words against me and youd be absolutely right.

GOOD MORNING @LindseyGrahamSC!! The sun hasn't even risen yet outside the Senator's house this morning. We are taking his own advice: using his words against him. We won't let him replace #RBG!! #usemywordsagainstme #DefendDemocracy #HonorRBG #HonorHerWishes pic.twitter.com/E7CFJCV1yq

ShutDownDC (@ShutDown_DC) September 21, 2020","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"ShutDownDC","author_url":"https://twitter.com/ShutDown_DC","cache_age":86400,"description":"GOOD MORNING @LindseyGrahamSC!! The sun hasn't even risen yet outside the Senator's house this morning. We are taking his own advice: using his words against him. We won't let him replace #RBG!! #usemywordsagainstme #DefendDemocracy #HonorRBG #HonorHerWishes pic.twitter.com/E7CFJCV1yq ShutDownDC (@ShutDown_DC) September 21, 2020\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"ShutDownDC on 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GOOD MORNING @LindseyGrahamSC !! The sun hasn't even risen yet outside the Senator's house this morning. We are taking his own advice: using his words against him. We won't let him replace #RBG !! #usemywordsagainstme #DefendDemocracy #HonorRBG #HonorHerWishes pic.twitter.com/E7CFJCV1yq
ShutDownDC (@ShutDown_DC) September 21, 2020

Graham reiterated his stance in 2018 during a forum with The Atlantic, stating that if an opening comes in the last year of President Trumps term, and the primary process has started, well wait until the next election.

But Graham now seems unfazed by his pledges.

I fully understand where [Trump] is coming from, Graham tweeted Saturday in response to the presidents statement that the GOP has an obligation to fill the Supreme Court vacancy without delay.

About 100 demonstrators protested outside McConnells home in Louisville, Kentucky, on Saturday, calling on the Republican leader to allow whoever is elected in November to pick the next Supreme Court nominee.

I think its time to stand up and speak out, one protester told WLKY . Thats what Ruth Bader Ginsburg fought her whole life for.