Sen. Bernie Sanders said that President Barack “Obama’s nominations” to the Supreme Court “required 60 votes.” As CNN’s Jake Tapper explains in this fact-checking video, Obama’s Supreme Court nominees received 60 votes, but it wasn’t “required.”
Sen. Ted Cruz said that “it has been 80 years since the Senate confirmed any judicial vacancy for the Supreme Court that occurred during a presidential election.” He’s (almost) right, but his claim lacks context.
CNN’s Jake Tapper and FactCheck.org offer two fact-checking videos this week covering claims made by Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
Former President Bill Clinton mistakenly claimed that President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland, was confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals by a “97 to nothing” vote. The Senate voted 76-23 to confirm Garland.
Democrats say the public overwhelmingly support hearings and a vote on President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee. The polls, however, are not as settled as the Democrats make them out to be.
Sen. Ted Cruz claims that President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland, is “precisely” the kind of nominee “that a dealmaker like Donald Trump would support.” Trump has named two possible nominees, both Republican appointees.
This week, readers sent us letters about Donald Trump and David Duke, and U.S. Supreme Court confirmations during a presidential election year.
An ad from a pro-Ted Cruz super PAC says, “Ted Cruz argued nine cases in front of the Supreme Court, and won.” He did not win all nine cases, as the ad implies.
Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz distort the history of Supreme Court appointments in arguing that President Obama should not be allowed to fill the vacancy left by the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
Six remaining Republican candidates misrepresent the facts on the Supreme Court, immigration, abortion and other issues.