2020 Democratic candidate Joe Biden said that he’d nominate Judge Merrick Garland to fill a potential opening at the Supreme Court if he won the election.
During an interview with Iowa Starting Line that published on Friday, the Democratic primary frontrunner discussed former President Barack Obama’s attempt to appoint Garland, only for Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to stonewall his efforts.
“I think we should have been a whole heck of a lot harder on [Mitch McConnell],” Biden told Starting Line reporter Pat Rynard.
When Rynard asked if Biden would be open to nominating Garland again if a spot opened in the Supreme Court during his presidency, the former vice president responded with “Sure, I would.”
“By the way, he’s a first-rate person,” he added.
But unlike 2020 rivals Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Kamala Harris (D-CA), Biden said he’s not open to expanding the Supreme Court.
“No, I’m not prepared to go on and try to pack the court, because we’ll live to rue that day,” he said.
