Drama surrounded a scuttled political debate in South Carolina is due to the GOP push to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court.
"Republican incumbent Lindsey Graham and Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison will no longer debate Friday night after Harrison declined to participate unless Graham took a coronavirus test in advance and Graham denied the request," The Post and Courierreported Friday. "Instead of an hour-long debate, the two candidates will each participate in separate 30-minute interviews hosted by television station WSPA in Spartanburg."
"The decision put an end to tumultuous back-and-forth in the final 24 hours before the debate after Harrison issued a public demand Thursday night that Graham take a coronavirus test before they debated," the newspaper reported.
Multiple political analysts believe Graham's refusal to take a COVID-19 is because he wants to chair Judge Barrett's Judiciary Committee hearings even if he is infected with the virus.
"Repeating myself and others here, but the reason Lindsey Graham won't get tested despite having been exposed to many COVID+ people is because if he reveals a positive test and has to quarantine the Amy Coney Barrett nomination could get scuttled. There is no other logical reason," 538's Nate Silver concluded.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) also believes the issues may be linked.
"Why won’t Lindsey Graham take a COVID test? Maybe he is worried he wouldn’t be able to lead an already illegitimate Supreme Court hearing," Schumer tweeted. "It’s the same reckless behavior as Donald Trump."