Warren Warns Nominee: “We Will Fight for the Soul of This Nation”

Chants of “Hell no, Kavanaugh” clashed with “Roe has got to go” outside the Supreme Court on Monday night, moments after President Donald Trump announced Judge Brett Kavanaugh as his pick.

As hundreds of protesters waving signs and megaphones gathered in front of the court, Sen. Elizabeth Warren struggled to be heard over the shouts.

“Donald Trump is not a king. No one makes it to the Supreme Court without a majority in the Senate,” the Massachusetts senator told the crowd.

Warren, who is seen as a possible 2020 presidential contender, called on her Democratic colleagues in the chamber to stand firm in the coming fight to block Kavanaugh, a conservative currently serving on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

She and others worry that Kavanaugh will set women’s reproductive health back 45 years by upending the Roe v. Wade precedent that affirmed the right to an abortion in 1973.

Earlier Monday, Warren tweeted a video warning that the commander-in-chief’s pick could endanger the rights of marginalized groups. “If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines, now is the time to jump in,” Warren said in the video.

Sens. Bernie Sanders and Cory Booker also spoke at the late-night rally, which was organized by the Center for American Progress.

Cheers greeted Sanders, who asked the crowd if they were ready for a battle.

“This is a tough fight, but if we stand together we’re going to win,” the Vermont Democrat said.

Booker urged people not to give up. “We’ve got challenges ahead but we cannot grow weary,” the New Jersey Democrat said.

Republicans set the most recent precedent for blocking Supreme Court nominations when they refused to confirm President Barack Obama’s pick in 2016. Some Democrats have vowed to do the same to Kavanaugh, though their options have dwindled after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ditched the filibuster for nominees last year.

As pro-choice members of the crowd jostled with anti-abortion protesters who had turned out to support Trump’s selection Monday night, leaders of liberal groups took their turn at the microphone to voice their disdain for Kavanaugh and the administration.

“We must do our constitutional duty and reject this nominee,” said Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign.

Christin Battle, director of People for the American Way’s YP4, reminded the crowd of the high stakes of a lifetime appointment, saying young people will suffer the most from Trump’s pick.

Warren amped up the rhetoric, raising her fist. “We will fight for the soul of this nation,” she said.