, of course we're gonna have, this charade, of course we're gonna have, we're gonna meet with merrick garland and then they could have held a vote and defeated him. - we're gonna pretend to give him a serious. - they could have gone through the motions, pretended that they were gonna give him, and then they could have just defeated him. and then, so i think in a way what mcconnell did was more transparent. - intellectually honest. - more honest, and more humane to merrick garland. - right, but you understand that occasionally the shoe finds its way onto the other foot. - totally, totally. i understand why liberals are upset about this. - if in year seven, the democrats happen to control the senate and the republicans see an opportunity to put somebody on the supreme court who donald trump would minate and the docrats you guys a gonna be go witthat, right? 'til year seven, they could do it year four, right? - well we don't know the guy's gonna get reelected, not in an election year. - no you don't know, we could say, there's a tradition, during election years. but let me just make this point.

let me ask you, what was wrong with allowing merrick garland to have an up or down vote?ou prepared to pass a resolution that says, in election years, any supreme court vacancy inhabit to be the sense of a senate resolution that say, why not put merrick garland on the floor? and if the rationale is you know it's too close to an election, then vote no? [ laughter ] >> seth: how stoned is mitch mcconnell? "merrick garland, that's a funny name." so trump's in over his head with the chinese president. his infrastructure plan is incoherent. and his party had to destroy the rules of the senate just to get his supreme court nominee through. it might be better for everyone if he just went back to playing with his blocks. this has been "a closer look." ♪ [ cheers and applause ] we'll be right back with more "late night" everybody. [ cheers and applause ] ♪ ♪ i'm going to take they sky jet. ♪ ♪ ♪ do you remember when i took your [photo this morning?, [boy] yea! [intern] i'm afraid i have some terrible news. you have...bug eyes! here come the bugs! ahh! bugs everywhere! uh oh, this

president obama: i nominated judge merrick garland three months ago, but most republicans refused tor: in this bold move, they were betting a republican president would get back in the white house, and their bet paid off. donald trump: i, donald j. trump, do solemnly swear -- reporter: they confirmed neil gorsuch to fill the vacancy on the supreme court. since his confirmation, he has asserted his place on the far right of the court, delivering on president trump's promise, potentially for a eneration. donald trump: and i got it done in the first 100 days. reporter: republicans have controlled this since 1969, leading to 5-4 rights for individuals with guns, corporate campaign spending and class-action lawsuits. the supreme court can shift the political direction. with their appointment, presidents leave a legacy after their term here that is why in recent years, they have selected justices whose convictions are not likely to shift. justice gorsuch: i will not forget to whom much is given, much will be expected. reporter: where much of major rulings did not matter, the 5-4 split has

in the last year of his presidency, barack obama nominated federal appeals court judge merrick garlandia who died in 2016. but republicans broke with tradition and refused to hold confirmation hearings. president obama: i nominated judge merrick garland more than three months ago, but most republicans refused to even meet with him. reporter: in this bold move, the g.o.p. was betting a republican president would get back in the white house, and their bet paid off. donald trump: i, donald j. trump, do solemnly swear -- reporter: on april 7, the republican-controlled senate confirmed neil gorsuch to fill the vacancy on the supreme court. since his confirmation, he has quickly asserted his place on the far right of the court, delivering on president trump's promise of maintaining a conservative supreme court potentially for a generation. , donald trump: and i got it done in the first 100 days. that is even nice. reporter: republicans have controlled the court since 1969, leading to 5-4 controversial decisions for rights for individuals with guns, corporate campaign spending and class-actio

is what the republicans in the senate did to chief judge merrick garland in his nomination, the rule of law doesn't mean just the law in the narrow sense, but policies and conventions. so was the -- >> i think you wrote a column or two on this. >> yes, i did. >> you want to answer your own question? >> no, no, no, i'm the moderator, i'm supposed to be moderate. >> consistent with the rule of law, i mean it's certainly not consistent with how we operate as a country or how we ought to operate. it was troubling to me that president obama didn't even get an opportunity to even get a hearing for his nominee, much less to be able to make an appointment. that's like your last year in office is for fitted. whether that's a violation of the rule of law or not, but it's not how we ought to be operating. >> merrick garland was the most qualified nominee, not just in our lifetimes, perhaps in the history of the united states supreme court. our nation's second highest court, never overruled once by the supreme court. it was extraordinary. so it was unforgivable. and it was a really sad thing for

actually i also think had hillary clinton been elected and even a moderate genuine moderate like merrick garland been put on the court we would have succeeded not necessarily overturning the evil a right away but i think we would have reached overturn citizens united pretty quickly but where we are right now and this is for sure going to be one of the lasting legacies of the trumpet ministration we're looking at decades of a historically reactionary supreme court back to the locker court that we stopped at least maybe ours yes roger tenney so i think these are people who you know people have been skeptical of the constitutional amendment remedy they're going to face the reality that there is no alternative in this regard and we're going to have to win the constitutional moment it seems in the minute we have left martin surely the pharma bro took a thirteen dollars drug jacked up to seven hundred fifty bucks for desperate people he's on trial for fraud what does this say about our system that he's on trial for fraud not for jacking up the price of pharmaceuticals and you know for sick people well

the obama administration thought republicans would not be able to deny judge merrick garland, the emailswanted to sell garland as a meticulous jurist, that won him bipartisan praise. the vacant seat left by scalia filled by president trump's nominee neil gorsuch. todd: blue lines matter bills. the group telling the daily caller they approach police protections federal and state levels. the law makes attacking officers a hate crime but aclu claim police are the most protected class and don't need to increase their legal protection. this all comes as some states look to introduce mandatory minimum sentences for crimes against cops. heather: lots of people took a long one spending time with friends and family. todd: beaches and parks. adam is here in the weather center. >> for the most part, things are looking good. there's a couple troubled spots out there being fueled by warm air in the middle of the country. 80's, mid-70's very early in july 3rd morning, most of the activity firing up really in the heart of the country taking area of kansas that's going to eventually fall down in portion

in the last year of his presidency, barack obama nominated federal appeals court judge merrick garlandpreme court to replace justice antonin scalia, but republican senators broke with long-standing tradition and refused to hold confirmation hearings for judge garland. >> most republicans so far refused to even meet with him. move, thein this bold gop was betting for the republican president to win back the white house, and their bet paid off. >> i, donald john trump, do solemnly swear -- reporter: april 7, the republican-controlled senate confirmed neil gorsuch to fill the vacancy of the spring court. since -- on the supreme court. since the decision, he has delivered on president trump's promise on maintaining a conservative supreme court, potentially for a generation. >> and i got it done in the first 100 days. that's nice. nominees of conservative presidents have helped the court, leading to controversial decisions. the supreme court carries the power to shift the nation's political direction. with their supreme court upon it, residents can influence the nation long after the terms

experienced people which is perhaps the most important factor but you have office qualifications in merrick garland so why was he blocked? he was blocked for political reasons and why did the corsets get in? because of political reasons. >> do you believe they are all of that intellectual stature? >> well i think some more, some less but i think they all would qualified owner andy -- under any standard of intellect and integrity piano there was a big flap about clarence thomas to is the furthest right of all the justices and says he believes the natural law and natural law means a lot of things but to a lawyer means you find a basis for decisions other than what's in the constitution. for example the right to bear arms was a fundamental right which was given to citizens before the constitution in the decoration of independents and part of the roof right if life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. there's no one else on the court like corsets because he studied natural law when he was at oxford on a marshall scholarship under a man named john fettus who believed in natural law. i think there's tha

judge merrick garland more than three months ago, but most republicans refused to even meet with him.ident would win back the white house, and the debt paid off. on april 7, the republican-controlled seven -- senate confirmed neil gorsuch to fill skill he is vacancy. he has quickly delivered on trump's promise of maintaining a supreme -- conservative concede -- conservative supreme court. nominees by republican presidents have control of the nine member court since 1969, leaving to controversial 5-4 decisions that led to recessions on corporate campaign spending and limited class action lawsuits. the opponents, presidents can influence the nation long after their terms and. that is why, presidents have selected justices who -- whose convictions are not likely to shift. toi will never forget that whom much is given, much will be expected. >> here is the argument. where once major rulings are the products of unanimous votes, the number of important decisions 5-4 decisions are rising. and this low turnover of the court has meant that the court the makeuping behind of the country. and lif