Flake: ‘I Would Rather Have a Less-Liberal Nominee Like Merrick Garland’ than One Hillary Would Pick

Thursday on Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends,” Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) explained his decision to meet with President Barack Obama’s nomination to fill the Supreme Court vacancy, Judge Merrick Garland.

Flake acknowledged GOP senators were doing the proper thing to put off any action on Obama’s pick, but added that in the event Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton should be elected president, Garland should be given consideration.

“I think that Republicans are doing the right thing,” Flake said. “We’re fully justified in saying, ‘Let’s wait until after the election to actually nominate someday or approve the president’s nomination.’ But I said yesterday that if Republicans are not successful in the November election – I hope we are – but if we are not, then we ought to look at this nomination in the lame-duck session in November. I would rather have a less-liberal nominee like Merrick Garland than a nominee that Hillary Clinton if she were president would put forward.”

“I’ve said from the very beginning that I would meet with him, but let me say, I hold the position that Republicans are justified – justified in doing what we’re doing before the election,” Flake added.

Follow Jeff Poor on Twitter @jeff_poor