Politics with Amy Walter: How Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Death will Affect the Battle for the White House

After serving 27 years on the Supreme Court, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died on Friday from complications associated with metastatic pancreatic cancer. Justice Ginsburg was the second woman to be appointed to the highest court in the land. Early in her career as a lawyer, she was a champion for gender equality and in the time since has been elevated to a feminist icon.

Clara Spera, Ginsburg’s granddaughter said her grandmother dictated thefollowing statementbefore her death: “My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed.”

While the race for the White House had already morphed into a turbulent, hyper-partisan event there’s no doubt that Ginsburg’s death underscores how consequential the November 3rd election will be.  

In a statement issued on Friday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said President Trump’s nominee “will receive a vote on the floor of the United States Senate.” That statement exists in direct opposition to his stance on Barack Obama’s 2016 nomination of Merrick Garland. 

Professor Barbara Perry,director of presidential studies at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center, and Sahil Kapur,national political reporter at NBC News, discuss Ginsburg’s legacy and how her death could change the trajectory of the election cycle.