Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris echoed her running mate and sidestepped a pair of questions on Tuesday about adding more members to the Supreme Court if Republicans fill a vacancy before the Nov. 3 election.
Democratic nominee Joe Biden declined to say if he would "pack" the Supreme Court during Tuesday’s debate if Senate Republicans confirm Amy Coney Barrett.
BIDEN REFUSES TO SAY WHETHER HE WOULD ADD SEATS TO SUPREME COURT
Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris echoed her running mate and sidestepped a pair of questions about adding more members to the Supreme Court.
“Whatever position I take on that, that will become the issue,” Biden said. “The American people should speak. You should go out and vote.”
President Trump chimed in, repeating moderator Chris Wallace’s question about if Biden would “pack the court” but the former vice president didn’t answer.
KAMALA HARRIS CRITICIZED FOR LACK OF PRESS AVAILABILITY: 'WHAT ARE THEY AFRAID OF?'
Later in the evening, Harris dodged the same question on two different networks.
CBS News’ John Dickerson confronted Harris, saying Biden’s non-answer sounded like a “straight up dodge” and asked why he refuses to talk about it.
“Well, I think he’s very clear, John, which is he is focused, as we all should be, on the next 35 days,” Harris said. “He is focused on ... the process."
CNN’s Jake Tapper also confronted Harris on the idea of adding seats to the Supreme Court, flatly asking if it’s an idea she’s “willing to think about” but Biden’s running mate was noncommittal once again.
“We are 35 days away from an election... probably the most important election of our lifetime and out children’s lifetime, and there is nothing about these next 35 days that Joe or I will take for granted,” Harris said. “The focus right now is on reminding people that we have this election that is very much in play... we are in the midst of an election.”
Harris insisted she wants to focus on what’s happening now and “deal with later, later.”
“Let’s not get distracted,” Harris added.
Tapper then noted that Harris also “declined” to answer the question about adding seats to the Supreme Court.
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The Supreme Court has had nine justices for more than 150 years, but the Constitution does not require nine. Congress sets that number and some Democrats have argued that expanding the nation's high court is necessary.
Biden has long opposed the issue of court-packing, but Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death has revived the concept of expanding the number of Supreme Court justices in order to shift its ideological balance.
Fox News’ Megan Henney contributed to this report.
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