Trump Inadvertently Reminds Everyone That He Stole a Supreme Court Seat

Donald Trump really doesn't want to debate Vice President Harris again after getting his clock cleaned. Trump's initial (laughable) reason was that he won the debate and that Harris only wanted a rematch because she lost. But recently, he has pivoted to arguing that a proposed October debate would be "too late." Very interesting given what happened in October 2020!

The Harris campaign said Saturday that she had agreed to a debate on October 23 hosted by CNN. That would be 13 days before Election Day. Then at a North Carolina rally on Saturday, Trump said this: "The problem with another debate is that it’s just too late, voting has already started.” And this: “She’s done one debate, I’ve done two, it’s too late to do another. I’d love to, in many ways, but it’s too late, the voting is cast, the voters are out there.”

I'm old enough to remember way back in 2020, when the Senate confirmed Amy Coney Barrett to a lifetime seat on the Supreme Court on October 26, a mere eight days before that year's election. That event also occurred while people were in the process of voting—and they happened to be voting Trump out of office. 

If Trump's "too late" logic were in any way consistent, the nomination to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg would have waited until after the election. But he's not consistent: He and Republicans play "heads I win, tails you lose" politics. (Of course, Trump stole not one but two seats on the court when you include Neil Gorsuch, but Democrats basically let Sen. Mitch McConnell walk away with that in 2016.)

Trump's pathetic reasoning shows us that he's rightly scared to face Harris again and, at the same time, it has reminded everyone that Amy Coney Barrett sits in a stolen seat which she used to help overturn Roe v. Wade. Did the 78-year-old GOP presidential nominee simply forget the timing of the Barrett confirmation—or does he just lie about literally everything? It could be both. Regardless, if anyone tries to use this "13 days out is too late" nonsense, you can note that 13 days is more than eight.

Also:

• Earlier this month, I wrote in The Nation how funding cuts from national pro-choice groups including Planned Parenthood are pushing abortion seekers later in pregnancy, when the procedures are much more expensive. Two prominent all-trimester clinics—DuPont Clinic and Partners in Abortion Care—have been discounting care for patients who make it to their appointments, but this generosity may force them to close. If they did, it would leave far fewer options for people who need later abortions, including for medical reasons. No one thinks they'll need a later abortion until they do. People interested in helping can donate to DuPont and Partners.
• And, no, Kamala Harris winning in November won't fix this funding problem. Neither will the passage of most abortion amendments on the ballot. But the amendment in Colorado could help put a dent in funding gaps: Initiative 89 would not only codify the right to abortion in the state constitution, it would also repeal an existing ban on public health insurance plans covering abortion. It needs 55% of the vote to pass. Tell your people.
• Blessings upon all readers, subscribers, and paid(!) subscribers. If it's more your style to make a one-time contribution, you can send me a tip at @SusanRinkunas on Venmo. Thank you for helping me pay for my health insurance.