On September 26, President Donald Trump announced his nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court. This decision has been met with criticism due to the proximity of the presidential election.

In 2016, the Republican-controlled Senate, led by Mitch McConnell, blocked President Barack Obama’s pick to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia, citing that it was an election year and appropriate to wait for a new president to appoint the new Justice.

Democrats note that McConnell has no reservations about appointing a new Justice this year, despite this nomination coming significantly closer to the presidential election than that of 2016.

Barrett, a former professor of law at Notre Dame University, was appointed to the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals by President Trump in 2017. If Barrett is approved by the Senate, the Supreme Court will shift further right, which will affect the United States for decades—creating a legacy for Donald Trump and the GOP that will outlast this current administration.