People participating in a Democratic National Committee conference call broke out into cries of agony on Wednesday after they received the news that Justice Anthony Kennedy was retiring from the Supreme Court.
Attendees of the rules committee conversation can be heard exclaiming: “Ohh,” “Oh my god,” and “This is not good news, for anyone,” in audio from inside the meeting, shared on Twitter by Politico reporter David Siders.
How it sounded inside a DNC committee meeting the moment Justice Kennedy’s retirement was announced pic.twitter.com/6S9uO2JGzQ
— David Siders (@davidsiders) June 27, 2018
“Not that he has done us any good on these recent decisions, but he was the one that was easily persuadable,” one individual said.
Earlier in the day, before Kennedy’s announcement, DNC Chairman Tom Perez decried the GOP’s successful confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch.
“They stole a fifth seat … their goal was to take aim at the heart of our values,” Perez said, according to Siders.
. @TomPerez tears into GOP, Supreme Court … “They stole a fifth seat … their goal was to take aim at the heart of our values.”
— David Siders (@davidsiders) June 27, 2018
Kennedy revealed in his resignation letter sent to President Trump that his retirement will be effective July 31.
Trump is said he intends to begin the process of vetting and selecting a nominee “immediately,”
[Also read: Mitch McConnell says the Senate will vote this fall on a new justice]
