William Barr, Jeff Sessions and two other former U.S. attorneys general have proposed two debate questions about the Supreme Court ahead of the Sept. 10 showdown between Vice President Harris and former President Trump on ABC News.
The letter to ABC's hosts and executives, signed by Attorney General Barr, Attorney General Sessions and fellow former Attorneys General Michael Mukasey and Edwin Meese, suggests the candidates explain their position on expanding the size of the Supreme Court and state the criteria they would consider in selecting a nominee if a vacancy were to occur during their term.
“Following recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions, including Dobbs overturning Roe v. Wade, a national debate has been sparked about the structure and role of the U.S. Supreme Court, yet presidential candidates have had little opportunity to explain where they stand on this important issue,” the letter, which was also signed by Kelly Shackelford, president and chief counsel at First Liberty Institute, said.
“As the American people prepare to vote in the presidential election, it would be useful and appropriate to hear how former President Trump and Vice President Harris intend to influence the Supreme Court,” the letter argues.
The Hill has reached out to ABC for comment.
Ms Harris and Mr Trump are set to face off in a debate in Philadelphia next month, moderated by ABC's David Muir and Lindsey Davis, after Mr Trump has already faced off against Mr Biden in a debate that is seen as one of the reasons the incumbent President Biden dropped out of the historic race.
The two sides were at odds this week over disagreements over debate rules, raising doubts about whether the debate would take place at all, but Trump said Tuesday he had agreed to the terms.
The debate is expected to be a key event for both Trump and Harris as they head into a tight election cycle. Harris has a 4.3 percentage point lead in the Hill/Decision Desk national polling average, a change from late July when Biden was trailing Trump, but the new Democratic candidate will need to maintain momentum going into the upcoming debate and her first major interview.
Questions are already swirling about what Harris and Trump will discuss when they hit the ABC stage next month. Barr and Shackelford, who both served in the Trump administration, have previously spoken out about Biden's Reform proposal Establish rules, including term limits and a code of ethics, for the nation's highest court.
President Trump nominated Barr to replace Sessions in 2018. Kicked out After the midterm elections that year, Meese Under the Reagan Administrationand Mukaisei is Under former President George W. Bush.
