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What RBG Would Do If Trump Becomes President

by Rosie Holden Vacanti Gilroy

It's not common for Supreme Court justices to comment on current political situations, but Ruth Bader Ginsburg has never proven herself to be terribly ordinary. Perhaps it will come as little surprise, then, that the 83-year-old justice did not veer away from questions regarding Donald Trump during a Friday interview. Instead, Justice Ginsburg shared what she'd do if Trump becomes President: move to New Zealand. Not a bad idea, really. The New York Times reported that Ginsburg was thoughtful, and a bit rueful, during her interview, explaining that moving to New Zealand was something her late husband, Martin D. Ginsburg, would have jokingly suggested in such a circumstance.

However, Ginsburg had a serious warning to share when it comes to the potential of a Trump presidency:

I can’t imagine what this place would be — I can’t imagine what the country would be — with Donald Trump as our president. For the country, it could be four years. For the court, it could be — I don’t even want to contemplate that.

She made an important point. While Trump's presidency could last a mere four years, the justices he would appoint to the Supreme Court would serve for life. Considering the conservative list of Supreme Court justices Trump suggested, his presidency would ensure the Court many years of conservative rulings. (At that point, moving to New Zealand could become a necessity.)

BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images

Without a doubt, the next president will have the opportunity to appoint at least one justice to the Supreme Court. Not only is Antonin Scalia's former seat still empty, but Ginsburg pointed out that neither she nor Justices Kennedy and Breyer are young. Since Congress is blocking Obama from appointing a replacement for Scalia, that appointment will likely be one of the next president's first actions — though The New York Times reported that Ginsburg did say she thought Obama's appointee, Judge Merrick Garland, would be an excellent addition to the Supreme Court.

While she did not endorse Hillary Clinton for president during her interview, Ginsburg did seem to insinuate she's voting for Clinton when she recently stated, "It’s likely that the next president, whoever she will be, will have a few appointments to make." Yup, RBG is pretty sure HRC will be the next president.

Here's hoping Trump does not win the presidency — not only would his Supreme Court appointees be disastrous for progressivism in the United States, but no one wants to see Ginsburg move all the way to New Zealand!