Obama Incorrectly States Garland Was Confirmed Unanimously to Current Position

Obama Incorrectly States Garland Was Confirmed Unanimously to Current Position (The Washington Free Beacon)

President Obama incorrectly said Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland was confirmed unanimously by the Senate to his current judgeship during an interview with BuzzFeed News on Monday.

Obama claimed Garland, currently Chief Justice of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, was confirmed “unanimously by the Senate for the current positions he holds” as evidence of his worthiness to receive a hearing from Senate Republicans. In reality, Garland was confirmed by a 76-to-23 vote in 1997.

“Part of what I tried to do in filling this seat was to find a nominee who had unimpeachable credentials, who everybody said was a great judge, and everybody said could work with both conservatives and liberals, and I found that person in Merrick Garland,” Obama said. “This is a guy who currently serves on the second-most important court in the land. He has, by all accounts, conducted himself fairly, judiciously. He works with other people very well. He’s wicked smart.