An event that began with a sober moment of silence to honour Scalia, whose death was announced on Saturday, turned abruptly accusatory as the six GOP candidates unleashed a torrent of attacks and personal name-calling, including multiple charges of lying.
The sparring played out one week ahead of the South Carolina Republican primary, an event that has become legendary over the years for its bare-knuckle politics.
The White House contenders opened the night with praise for Scalia. They largely agreed that his successor, who could shift the ideological balance of the court, should be nominated by the next president. Front-runner Donald Trump said he was certain President Barack Obama would make a nomination whether Republicans like it or not and called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to slam the brakes.
“It’s called delay, delay, delay,” Trump said.
Senator Patrick Leahy, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, appeared yesterday on CNN’s “State of the Union” to discuss Scalia and his succession on the Supreme Court.
Ted Cruz, battling with Trump for the anti-establishment mantle, said Scalia’s passing underscored the high stakes of the 2016 election. The country is only “one justice away,” the Texas senator warned, of the Supreme Court striking down important decisions on issues like abortion and religious liberty.
John Kasich, fresh off a second-place finish in New Hampshire, and Jeb Bush, hoping for a strong finish in a state that both his father and brother won, agreed that the next administration should choose Scalia’s successor. Bush said the President “of course” has the right to nominate a Supreme Court justice, but added he was certain Obama’s pick would not have consensus support.
“The next president needs to appoint someone with a proven conservative record similar to Justice Scalia,” the former Florida governor said.
Marco Rubio hailed Scalia as “one of the great justices of the history of this republic,” praising his life-long efforts to defend the “original meaning of the Constitution.”
But the consensus at the GOP debate hosted by CBS News was short-lived as the candidates spent the next two hours clashing on issues including immigration, foreign policy and the legacy of former President George W. Bush.
Rubio and Cruz got into a cage match over their records on immigration reform.
