“I don’t know that she (Ginsburg) said that, or was that written out by Adam Schiff and Schumer and Pelosi. I would be more inclined to the second, OK? That came out of the wind. It sounds so beautiful. But that sounds like a Schumer deal or maybe a Pelosi or shifty Schiff. So that came out of the wind. Let’s see. I mean, maybe she did and maybe she didn’t.”
– Donald Trump when asked about Ruth Bader Ginsburg's last words on the Fox News program “Fox & Friends” (September 21)
NPR legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg, a longtime friend of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, reported that the justice had dictated the following statement to granddaughter Clara Spera, a lawyer, days before she died of pancreatic cancer September 18.
"My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed."
Spera told BBC Newshour in an interview on September 21 that she had personally taken down the request from Ginsburg and verified with her that she understood it correctly.
“In the final days of her life, I asked my grandmother if there was anything she wanted to say to the public, to anyone, that wasn’t already out there,” recalled Spera.
“I pulled out my computer and she dictated the following sentence to me. She said: ‘My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed.'”
“I read it back to it and she was very happy with that,” Spera said. “When I asked ‘is that it, is there anything else you’d like to say?’ she said ‘the rest of my work is a matter of public record.’ So that’s all she wanted to add.”
Known for her toughness and incredible resiliency, Ginsburg had battled cancer several times throughout her life. She was treated for colon cancer in 1999, underwent surgery for pancreatic cancer in 2009 and had cancerous lesions removed from her lung in 2018. Ginsburg received chemotherapy for a recurrence of pancreatic cancer in 2019.
Asked later why he believed the words attributed to Ginsburg might not have actually come from the justice, Trump told reporters her stated position “was just too convenient.”
“It sounds to me like it would be somebody else. I don't believe — it could be, it could be, and it might not be, too,“ he said without elaborating.
Rep. Adam Schiff, whom Trump disparagingly identified as "shifty Schiff," tweeted a denial of Trump's claim:
"Mr. President, this is low. Even for you. No, I didn't write Ruth Bader Ginsburg's dying wish to a nation she served so well, and spent her whole life making a more perfect union. But I am going to fight like hell to make it come true. No confirmation before inauguration."
A new “low” indeed. As the nation mourns the loss of the iconic 87-year-old Supreme Court justice and women’s rights crusader, Trump besmirches her accomplishments. Ginsburg was a tireless fighter for freedom and justice, a true American hero.
For Ginsburg, principle was everything – not only equal rights, but also the integrity of democracy. Always concerned about the consequences of her actions for the system as a whole, she advised young people “to fight for the things you care about but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”
Accolades and tributes poured in after her death.
Former President George W. Bush:
"Laura and I join our fellow Americans in mourning the loss of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She dedicated many of her 87 remarkable years to the pursuit of justice and equality, and she inspired more than one generation of women and girls."
Former President Jimmy Carter:
"A powerful legal mind and a staunch advocate for gender equality, she has been a beacon of justice during her long and remarkable career. I was proud to have appointed her to the U.S. Court of Appeals in 1980."
Former President Bill Clinton:
“With the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, America has lost one of the most extraordinary Justices ever to serve on the Supreme Court. She was a magnificent judge and a wonderful person – a brilliant lawyer with a caring heart, common sense, fierce devotion to fairness and equality, and boundless courage in the face of her own adversity. Her 27 years on the Court exceeded even my highest expectations when I appointed her.”
Former President Barack Obama:
“Over a long career on both sides of the bench – as a relentless litigator and an incisive jurist – Justice Ginsburg helped us see that discrimination on the basis of sex isn’t about an abstract ideal of equality; that it doesn’t only harm women; that it has real consequences for all of us. It’s about who we are – and who we can be.”
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts:
“Our Nation has lost a jurist of historic stature. We at the Supreme Court have lost a cherished colleague. Today we mourn, but with confidence that future generations will remember Ruth Bader Ginsburg as we knew her – a tireless and resolute champion of justice.”
Journalist Dan Rather:
“A shock. A sadness. A great loss. The passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg leaves a hole in a nation already reeling. She is an American hero, in every sense. We can honor her by joining to carry forth her legacy of equality, empathy, and justice. May she Rest in Peace.”
Tennis great and advocate for gender equality Billie Jean King:
“So that’s the dissenter’s hope: that they are writing not for today but for tomorrow.” My Shero, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, has died. To pay tribute, those who believe in equality & freedom must fight for the ideals she championed. For her. For us. For generations to follow.”
Donald Trump is a selfish narcissist who demands attention and who would do anything to help secure an election. “Anything” includes attacking the memory of an American icon just hours after her demise. So exceedingly disrespectful. His thin skin and denigrating comments are not presidential. In fact, the combination is unacceptable in an American president.
It is true that Ginsburg said in July 2016: “I can’t imagine what this place would be—I can’t imagine what the country would be – with Donald Trump as our president.” She quickly apologized for her remarks saying …
“On reflection, my recent remarks in response to press inquiries were ill-advised and I regret making them. Judges should avoid commenting on a candidate for public office. In the future I will be more circumspect.”
Trump's familiar cries of “Witch hunt!” and “Hoax!” appease his adoring crowds. They willingly buy into conspiracies and misinformation that promote division. A day after the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, chants of "Fill that seat! Fill that seat!" broke out during President Trump's campaign rally in Fayetteville, N.C., on Saturday.
"That's what we're going to do. We're going to fill that seat!" Trump said, saying his supporters should print "Fill that seat!" on T-shirts.
Now, as part of his demand for a rapid Supreme Court replacement, Trump lies and creates another false narrative. Those who fight for power will bend or break rules to give themselves every advantage. They have no principles or integrity. It is up to the public to hold these government officials accountable – demanding stronger guardrails against abuses and voting power-mongers out of office. “Fill that seat?” How about “filling” the one in the oval office – the seat of executive power in the U.S. federal government?
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