Remembrances of Supreme Court Justice Ruther Bader Ginsburg began pouring in late Friday, following news of her death. But one clip quickly went viral on Twitter: a video of President Trump’s reaction upon learning of her passing.
“She just died? Wow,” Trump said. “I didn’t know that, you’re telling me now for the first time. She led an amazing life. What else can you say? She was an amazing woman.”
However, even those relatively anodyne words were enough to provoke a firestorm on Twitter. Comments on Trump’s reaction to her death have been divided along partisan lines.
Twitter user @Ky_Gill28 tweeted that Trump’s decision on the fate of Ginsburg’s Supreme Court seat will matter more than his words.
But conservative TV show host Laura Ingraham had a different take, calling Trump’s reaction seen in the video “genuine and heartfelt.”
The Twitter buzz immediately turned to whether Trump will be able to replace Ginsburg with a more conservative justice, or whether the Senate will balk. Bulwark writer Molly Jong-Fast pointed out that four Republican votes in the Senate will decide the matter.
Fox News contributor Sara A. Carter linked to a clip of Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) saying Trump’s next move should be to soon appoint his own successor to Ginsburg. “Ted Cruz is right,” she tweeted.
Twitter user @AndyOstroy warned that any attempt by Trump and Senate Republicans to force through a replacement for Ginsburg would backfire with suburban women during the November election.
Still, for every partisan tweet seeking to take advantage of the moment, there are also tweets honoring Ginsburg’s legacy. For example, George Washington University professor Jonathan Turley tweeted that Ginsburg was an inspiration to millions. “Her voice spoke to the inherent strength and dignity of our country,” he says.
