Supreme Court vacancy watch Day 179: Where's Mitch McConnell on Trump's 'Second Amendment people'?

It's Wednesday, August 10, and Day 179 since Justice Antonin Scalia died and Mitch McConnell decided no nominee would get any Senate attention: No meetings, no hearings, no votes. It's also Day 142 since Merrick Garland was nominated by President Obama to fill that vacancy. It's also nearly 24 hours since Donald Trump uttered his "Second Amendment" dog whistle about the Supreme Court, and so far we haven't heard a whisper from McConnell.

In fact, the last thing we've heard from him on the Supreme Court is this:

"One of my proudest moments was when I looked Barack Obama in the eye and I said, 'Mr. President, you will not fill the Supreme Court vacancy.'"

Still feel that way, Mitch? Do you still think the guy who suggested assassinating a president (or maybe her Supreme Court appointments) should be president? Should be shaping the court? We don't now, because McConnell isn't saying. He's not saying anything since Trump's latest outrage.

This makes McConnell's dilemma over the Garland nomination that much more fraught. He could make the whole issue go away for his Republican senators this election cycle by just allowing the Garland vote. That would be the ultimate means of divorcing them from Trump, allowing them to run on their own records. 

So it comes down to McConnell. Does he care more about screwing over Barack Obama—or being a responsible leader?

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