President Donald Trump was met with boos and chants of “vote him out” as he paid his final respects to the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Trump and first lady Melania Trump were at the Supreme Court on Thursday to honor the life of Ginsburg who died of pancreatic cancer last Friday. The couple, both wearing masks for the outdoor memorial, was met with jeers as they paused in front of Ginsburg’s flag-draped casket.
Read More: Ginsburg’s body will lie in repose at Supreme Court
Chants of “Honor her wish!” “Vote him out,” and boos were directed at the president by mourners gathered at the Supreme Court to pay tribute to the life and legacy of the liberal jurist. Ginsburg, 87, spent more than three decades on the High Court and has been lionized as a trailblazer. Trump did not acknowledge the chilly reception and soon turned his back to leave.
As theGrio reported, Trump has been adamant that Ginsburg’s seat be filled despite her stated wish that a new president names her successor. If Trump is able to make good on his vow and replace her anyway, six of the nine judges would lean conservative.
“My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed,” Justice Ginsburg said, according to NPR. The justice dictated the note to her granddaughter, Clara Spera, as she neared the end of her life.
However, Trump doesn’t seem inclined to honor Ginsberg’s wishes. In an appearance on Fox and Friends on Monday he said he believes that the quote attributed to Ginsburg was instead the words of top Democrats such as California Rep. Adam Schiff, Senator Chuck Schumer, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
“I don’t know that she said that, or if that was written out by Adam Schiff, and Schumer and Pelosi,” Trump said. “That came out of the wind. It sounds so beautiful, but that sounds like a Schumer deal, or maybe Pelosi or Shifty Schiff.”
Schiff chided Trump for his insinuation and remarked it was a new low for the president.
“Mr. President, this is low. Even for you. No, I didn’t write Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s dying wish to a nation she served so well, and spent her whole life making a more perfect union,” he tweeted.
“But I am going to fight like hell to make it come true. No confirmation before inauguration.”
Nina Totenberg, a reporter for NPR who published the account, pushed back against those questioning the legitimacy of Ginsburg’s wish. Totenberg has been close with the family for years and declared that there were others in the room when Ginsburg expressed her desire, including her doctor.
Read More: Mississippi Senate candidate Mike Espy sees record donations after Ginsburg’s death
“I checked,” Ms. Totenberg said on MSNBC on Monday, “because I’m a reporter.”
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!