Trump met with boos, ‘vote him out’ chant during visit to RBG’s casket, video shows
President Donald Trump was met with boos and chants while visiting the casket of Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Thursday, video shows.
The president and First Lady Melania Trump were visiting Ginsburg’s casket as she lies in repose at the United States Supreme Court. Ginsburg, the second woman to be appointed to the high court, died last week from pancreatic cancer complications.
As Trump visited her casket, a crowd can be heard loudly booing and chanting “vote him out” then “honor her wish,” C-SPAN video shows.
Ginsburg told her granddaughter, Clara Spera, days before her death that her “most fervent wish” is that she wouldn’t be replaced on the court until a new president is elected.
But Trump has said it’s his obligation to nominate a new justice quickly and that he will be announcing his pick, which will be his third, on Saturday.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has promised to vote on his nominee despite setting precedent in 2016 when he refused to hold a vote on former President Barack Obama’s nominee Merrick Garland because it was an election year.
Demonstrators also gathered Thursday at the Kentucky Republican’s home in Washington in a continued push for Ginsburg’s seat to remain vacant until after the election, another video shows.
Videos of the chanting were circulating on Twitter on Thursday morning, with mixed reactions.
The president was previously booed while at Game 5 of the World Series at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., last year, video shows. He was seen smiling and waving as the crowd continues to boo.
Trump was wearing a face mask while visiting the casket Thursday and didn’t seem to react to the chants.
He did, however, walk off shortly after the chants began, the video shows.
Facing an unfriendly crowd is rare for the president, who has been largely shielded from protesters and demonstrators since taking office, The Associated Press reported in 2019. It’s unusual for him to venture out into the D.C. community, a highly Democratic area.
Ginsburg will also lie in repose at the U.S. Capitol on Friday. She will be the first woman to do so, McClatchy News previously reported.
This story was originally published September 24, 2020 at 10:19 AM with the headline "Trump met with boos, ‘vote him out’ chant during visit to RBG’s casket, video shows."
