President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden came right out taking shots at one another.
The debate kicked off with a question surrounding Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett — a hot topic of Republicans pushing for a vote on a nominee since the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Asked by Fox News’ Chris Wallace if Republicans are trying to “jam through” a Supreme Court nominee, Trump responded during the first presidential debate on Tuesday night, “I will tell you very simply: We won the election. Elections have consequences.”
He added that Republicans have control currently over the White House and Senate.
“I think that she will be outstanding,” Trump continued. “She’s going to be as good as anybody that has served on that court, we really feel that.”
Some Republican lawmakers have come under fire being accused of hypocrisy over their previous remarks in 2016 on filling a Supreme Court vacancy in the last year of this presidency.
Watch the video below:
Asked to respond to charges that Republicans are trying to jam through a Supreme Court appointment in the closing weeks of a presidential race, Pres. Trump says, "Very simply: We won the election. Elections have consequences." https://t.co/5Bl4Ob3O2t #Debates2020 pic.twitter.com/lELoHHI3DZ
— ABC News (@ABC) September 30, 2020
In response to Biden’s argument that there should not be a justice appointed until after the election, Trump responded, “A president is elected for four years. We are not elected for three years. I’m not elected for three years.”
See his remarks below:
President Trump responds to Biden saying that he has no right to appoint a new Justice:
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) September 30, 2020
"A president is elected for four years. We are not elected for three years. I’m not elected for three years." pic.twitter.com/ilxLzc4bEG
Later Fox News’ Wallace asked Biden about a push by some Democrats to pack the court if Barrett is nominated and whether or not he supports that.
“The issue is the American people should speak,” Biden responded, before going on to urge people to vote. Trump, however, interrupted to ask Biden if he would pack the court, to which the former vice president told the president to “shut up.”
