In the wake of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death on Friday, tributes came pouring in from politicians, celebrities, and just about everybody in between. But one common theme seemed to be a bittersweet determination to honor RBG’s legacy at the polls on Election Day.
“This is it. It’s the fucking fight of our lives,” comedian Samantha Bee tweeted.
“Her rest is earned. It is our turn to fight,” actress Kerry Washington wrote.
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“A shock. A sadness. A great loss. The passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg leaves a hole in a nation already reeling. She is an American hero, in every sense. We can honor her by joining to carry forth her legacy of equality, empathy, and justice. May she Rest in Peace,” veteran journalist Dan Rather tweeted.
Hundreds of people gathered on the steps of the Supreme Court to mourn the loss of Ginsburg, with many lighting candles and leaving flowers, and some openly crying. The flag also was lowered to half staff as mourners paid their respects.
Prominent Democrats also grieved the loss of a liberal champion.
Former Secretary of State and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said on Twitter, “Justice Ginsburg paved the way for so many women, including me. There will never be another like her. Thank you RBG.”
Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) wrote, “The passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a tremendous loss to our country. She was an extraordinary champion of justice and equal rights, and will be remembered as one of the great justices in modern American history.”
President Trump, who was in the throes of a campaign rally in Minnesota when news broke of Ginsburg's death, said he was “sad” to hear the news after the rally. “She just died? Wow, I didn’t know that,” he said, when asked to comment on the news by a reporter. “I just … you’re telling me now for the first time. She led an amazing life. What else can you say? She was an amazing woman — whether you agree or not — she was an amazing woman who led an amazing life.”
During his rally, while most of the country was reeling from the loss of the trailblazing Supreme Court justice, Trump bragged to supporters about selecting Sen. Ted Cruz as a possible nominee for the Supreme Court.
He later issued a statement calling Ginsburg a “titan of the law” and a “fighter to the end,” noting that she showed “that one can disagree without being disagreeable toward one’s colleagues or different points of view.”
Almost immediately after the world learned of Ginsburg’s passing, reactions to the death of the liberal justice forecast a nasty fight over who will succeed her in the highest-stakes legal arena in the country. While Ginsburg’s last wish was for voters to decide who gets to choose her successor, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced late Friday that President Trump’s nominee to replace Ginsburg will be put to a vote.
Trump’s Democratic opponent in the upcoming election, former vice president Joe Biden, said, “Ruth Bader Ginsburg stood for all of us” and went on to come out against Republicans’ plan to replace Ginsburg before the Nov. 3 election.
“There is no doubt, let me be clear, the voters should pick the president and the president should pick the justice for the Senate to consider,” Biden told reporters.
