McConnell’s home draws protesters after Supreme Court comments

Droves of protesters descended on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) home in Kentucky on Saturday after he said President Trump’s nominee to replace the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg would receive a vote on the Senate floor, even with the presidential election just weeks away.

According to The Courier-Journal and local media, over 100 protesters flocked to McConnell’s home in Louisville. In footage and photos captured from the demonstration, some could be seen holding signs with messages like “Honor Her Wish” and “Ruth Sent Us” and others reading phrases like “Ditch Mitch.”

Some protesters could also be seen chanting phrases like “Vote him out” and “RBG,” referring to Ginsburg, in footage taken Saturday.

The demonstration reportedly lasted for about three hours. Some protesters had been approached by local police for blocking the street during the protest and at least one demonstrator was arrested, the Courier-Journal reports.

McConnell said late Friday that Trump’s nominee to replace Ginsburg, who said before her death that her “most fervent wish” is not to be replaced until a new president takes office, would receive a vote on the Senate floor.

“Americans reelected our majority in 2016 and expanded it in 2018 because we pledged to work with President Trump and support his agenda, particularly his outstanding appointments to the federal judiciary. Once again, we will keep our promise,” McConnell said.

“President Trump’s nominee will receive a vote on the floor of the United States Senate,” McConnell added.

His comments drew sharp criticism from Democrats and many on social media who pointed to McConnell’s decision  not to schedule a vote in 2016 for Merrick Garland, then-President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia, citing the coming election at the time.

“It seems clear President Obama made this nomination not, not with the intent of seeing the nominee confirmed, but in order to politicize it for purposes of the election,” McConnell said then.

“The American people are perfectly capable of having their say on this issue, so let’s give them a voice. Let’s let the American people decide. The Senate will appropriately revisit the matter when it considers the qualifications of the nominee the next president nominates, whoever that might be,” he added.

One of the protesters who attended the demonstration outside of McConnell’s home on Saturday, Laura Johnsrude, told the paper that she was “disgusted that Senator McConnell would treat this opportunity in a complete different manner than he treated the opportunity when there was a vacancy when Obama was nine or 10 months away from the election.”

“I’m not surprised, but I am disgusted. I think that’s appalling,” said Johnsrude, who also had a sign that read, “The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president.”