CNN’s Jake Tapper, Biden campaign aide spar over whether Barrett confirmation would be constitutional

CNN’s Jake Tapper and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s deputy campaign manager sparred on Sunday over whether Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation to the Supreme Court would be constitutional.

Kate Bedingfield backed up the former vice president’s claim on Saturday that the Republicans’ move to confirm Barrett to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left after Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death last month is “not constitutional.”

“His point is that the people have an opportunity to weigh in on this constitutional process through their vote,” she said on “State of the Union.” “And we are now in the midst of the election. Millions of people have already cast their votes.”

{mosads}“And you see that the vast majority of people say that they want the person who wins the election on Nov. 3 to nominate the justice to take this seat,” she added.

“That’s a poll,” Tapper responded. “That’s not the Constitution.”

Bedingfield pushed back by saying the GOP’s move toward confirming Barrett violates “the constitutional process of advice and consent.” 

“Voters are being denied their constitutional right to have a say in this process,” Bedingfield said, with Tapper cutting in to mention that the American people “elected the Senate.”

“The Republicans are trying to ram through a nominee, who, by the way, is going to change the makeup of the court,” she said. “And we see time and time again, poll after poll shows that most Americans vehemently disagree with this.”

Tapper sparred with Bedingfield, saying, “That’s not what the word ‘constitutional’ means.”

“Constitutional doesn’t mean I like it or I don’t like it,” he responded. “It means it’s according to the U.S. Constitution. There’s nothing unconstitutional about what the U.S. Senate is doing.”

“The American people are being denied their opportunity to have a say in who gets this lifetime appointment to the court,” Bedingfield replied. “The intention of the process here is for the American people to have a say in who makes the nomination and then who ultimately consents to the nomination.”

Barrett’s confirmation hearings are set to start this week.