Fox News legal analyst Andrew Napolitano said the Senate confirmation hearings for President Trump’s eventual Supreme Court pick will be a bloody political fight amid an already tight presidential race.
“This will be a World War III of political battles,” Napolitano told Fox News Radio host Jimmy Failla on Monday. “And it will be right in the middle of a presidential election.”
His comments came three days after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Trump told “Fox & Friends” on Monday that he will announce his Supreme Court pick on Friday or Saturday, with the president indicating he has a shortlist of five female contenders.
Napolitano said the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings will prove particularly combative given the presence of Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who is facing a tightening reelection bid, and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), the Democratic vice presidential nominee.
“We are in for some exciting, depressing, however you want to look at it, times,” Napolitano said.
Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) have already said the Senate should not take up a Supreme Court nomination before the election, narrowing the margin of error for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
“Mitch McConnell better count noses before he does anything. He’s already lost two Republicans,” Napolitano said.
Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate.
McConnell declined to respond to questions from reporters on Monday about whether he would push for a confirmation vote before Election Day, but he said on the Senate floor that the confirmation process for several previous nominees moved swiftly enough to allow for a vote in less than 43 days — the amount of time between now and Nov. 3.