Voters should pick the president and the president should pick the justice. President trump hopes this will upend a race he is losing but is there any evidence it will ill talk to nominhillary clintn the third ranking republican in the senate john. Plus, an administration at war with itself. Covi deaths hit 200,000 and President Trump finding his own experts on vaccines and on face masks. This face mask is more guaranteed to protect me against covid than when i take the covid vaccine. It is not more effective than any vaccine and i called him about that ill talk to health and Human Services secretary alex azar. How it is impacting President Trumps reelection chances. Covid, leadership and where the president ial race stands with six weeks to go. Welcome to sunday and a special edition of meet the press. Announcer from nbc news in washington this is a special edition of meet the press with chuck todd good sunday morning and a happy ru happy. The death of Supreme CourtJustice Ruth Bader ginsburg could only add to a year of turmoil. Ginsburg the second woman ever on the court and an unlikely cultural icon died friday night. Days before her death, she dictated a statement to her granddaughter. My most fervent wish is that i will not be replaced until a new president is installed she may not get that wish. Faced with a challenging political environment, both President Trump and Senate Majority leader Mitch Mcconnell seized the moment. The president seized to replace ginsburg immediately promising to nominate a woman this week. Taken after scalia died in february that any nominee named during a president ial campaign should await the results of the election putting out a statement saying President Trumps nominee will receive a vote on the floor of the United StatesSenate Chuck Schumer put out his own statement that was word for word what mcconnell said in 2016. This vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president. There is so much at stake. Will this upend a president ial election where nothing yet has moved the numbers . What effect could this have on Close Senate Races particularly in republicanleaning states and do Senate Republicans even have the votes to confirm a nominee immediately . Ill be talking to Hillary Clinton in just a few minutes, but were going to begin with nbc justice correspondent Pete Williams pete, Justice Ginsburg passed away less than 48 hours ago, but it seems as if this is moving very fast and we could have a nominee very soon. What could you tell us well, i think thats right and remember the Supreme Court term is going to start in just two weeks and the week after the election in november, the court will hear one of the most important cases of the term, the big showdown on obama care, which the Supreme Court has twice before rescued now led by a coalition of red states theres a new challenge to it. Couple of thoughts about that, chuck. Number one with her death it leaves the court with just eight justices, which raises the possibility of tie votes if the Supreme Court were to tie on the obama care case, it would leave the Lower Court Ruling in tact, which went against obamacare. Whether there will be a tie or not, i dont know. The big question in that case would be does the whole law have to fall if one part isnt firm the second question how soon can the senate act on a nominee . Normally the time from a president s nomination of a candidate all the way to confirmation is 70 days. Were, what . 44 days until the election that could mean a senate vote if they fall oetollow the normal s after the election its possible we dont even know the the president is going to be if theres contentious fights which could end up before the Supreme Court, chuck pete, there seems to be two names were hearing the most about. One a judge named Amy Coney Barrett and another a judge named barbara lagoa. What can you tell us about these two women . Well, Amy Coney Barrett would, of course, any person the president nominates is more conservative than Justice Ginsburg was but in some ways she would be the polar opposite of Ruth Bader Ginsburg because shes a pretty clear opponent of abortion and that may be a key point for the president. Hell want to nominate somebody who is determined to overturn roe v. Wade. Remember, chuck, well have five conservatives now if the president gets another nominee six conservatives so the court would be solidly conservative for decades to come. Pete williams at the Supreme Court this morning, Pete Williams, thank you. Now joining me now is nbc news capitol hill correspondent casey hunt what is realistic here you heard Pete Williams say the average time is over, were 44 days from the election ironically the last time somebody got nominated and confirmed in less than 44 days was Ruth Bader Ginsburg, it happened in 42 days. What is realistic timeline on capitol hill the person you want to watch in this is Mitch Mcconnell the republican leader and while there are practical questions about the timing, there are also political questions and i think that is going to drive every conversation and every decision about this there are two things Mitch Mcconnell cares about. Maintaining the republican control of the senate, which, of course, is on the line coming up on election day. And getting a conservative Supreme Court. So, if you thing about it in those terms, there are some political arguments for waiting until after the election to have a vote on the floor of the senate there are also political reasons to try and have confirmation hearing before election day that would keep this in the news on the front burner its something that traditional republicans, perhaps republicans who have problems with President Trump but supported the party for a long time. Its something that matters to them quite a bit and many of these Republican Senate candidates have been running a couple points in polls behind where President Trump is against joe biden. And republicans see this issue as something that could help them there but, of course, the outcome of the election could then also drive this because the next question is, does Mitch Mcconnell have the votes and there is a certain element of risk in waiting until after election day because if joe biden were to win in a landslide and many of the republicans were to lose their seats, that may take mcconnells two goals out of tension and he would not have to worry about maintaining the Senate Majority but the republicans who lost would have a different calculation on how to handle this chuck . Kasie hunt, you laid it out there very well. The timeline that were headed for is hearings first and then well see what happens on election day kasie hunt, thank you. Lun democratic senator Amy Klobuchar of minnesota who sits on Senate Judiciary committee. Senator klobuchar, welcome back to meet the press. First off, my condolences. To meet the press. Thanks, chuck. My could ndolences to you. What do you think is her most important legacy that shell be remembered for . She was a hero, icon, a woman way ahead of her time. You know, people told her oh, you cant even go to law school, she showed them and graduates number one in her class. She made landmark decisions, chuck, on equal rights for women when people said, no, you should have a man argue that case. And then she ends up on the very court that she argued in front of. And, again, became really an International Rock star in her 80s. That is not easy to do with a name notorious rbg. My daughter, like so many young people worshipped her. We had photos taken together. She said to me, mom, i hope you dont mind im going to cut you out of this photo. I just want the picture to be me and the notorious rbg. We must continue her fight. Thats what this is about for me. All right. Lets talk about the current politics of this moment. Besides campaigning, besides political pressure, is there a mechanical way that senate democrats, something in the senate rules could somehow prevent this nomination from Going Forward . Im not even getting to the senate rules right now, chuck, for very important reason. Im not going to concede that when you already have several of my colleagues saying that this should the way this happened so close to the election, that the next president should be able to make the decision. The people pick the president. And the president picks the justice. That is how this works. Look at what Abraham Lincoln did the last time someone died this close to the election. The he waited. He waited until after the election. To me, the fact that you got people voting right now including in my state, everything is on the line here. Health care is on the line. There is on the Affordable Care act. I think my republican colleagues have to decide based on what they said before, they set this new precedent in the last in 2016. This he have to follow their own words. Fwhut yo but in your mind, which precedent is wrong . For me, whatever happened before ancient rules, whatever it is, what matters right now is that they just made these statements. Theyre not beholden to Mitch Mcconnell. Theyre beholden to the people that voted for them in their own state. And as people, genuinely this literally, these hearts broken by Justice Ginsburgs deng showideath showing up at the courthouse. People were voting in record numbers. They were doing this before they died. We know this. We know how many people asking for mail in ballots. We know the numbers. We know joe biden is leading in states because people didnt think he could win because people have had it. They had with a president that divides people. They had it with 200 th,000 dea with this pandemic, if my colleagues want to say what is the press decedent i set, what d i follow, they have to make an individual decision. For me, thats what this is about. Its about justice. Its about moving forward as a senate and democracy. All right. Let me ask you this, senator schumer said nothing is off the table. What does that mean to you . What is nothing off the table . Is this getting rid of the filibuster . Is this d. C. Statehood . What is nothing off the table . What does that define . I think hes talking about the fact that there is reforms that weve all looked at. That you could consider. You and i have talked about this before on the show. Im not going to concede this. This is the position of a woman who never gave up, right . When people told her she couldnt do things, she kept going. Im not going to give up that my colleagues, when we have three of them having said that they believe that the next president , whoever wins the election, theyre not saying who thats going to be. Whoever wins the election, they can pick the justice. What this matters right now is what matters three days ago. And that is that people have to vote. And they vote. And they have to vote as Michelle Obama said like their life depends on it. Well, i think you think theyre going to do that. As you know, trying to get folks to stick by their word is something that is very hard these days. Assuming you dont get that, theres going to be confirmation hearings before election day. Do you think can you stop a confirmation vote before election day . Again, as senator schumer says, there is a lot of things we can try to do. But in the end, im not going to concede any of that. My colleagues and i do have facts on many i sued here. You have a number what they havent said what theyre going to do. You have a number that said the next president should make the decision. You have the precedent of the only time a justice died this close to an election. He made a decision to wait until after the election. And you have the fact that people are vote right now. And i think that creates pressure on my colleagues. Thats what a democracy is about. They dont want to have the Affordable Care act thrown out when you have hundreds of millions of americans with preexisting conditions. Are you kidding me . Thats in front of us. They dont want to money thrown into our electionors while the fires are blazing on the west coast they dont want to have other justices so conservative that they literally have agencies cant make decisions to regulate air and water. They want to have an america that reflects them. Senator klobuchar, democrat from minnesota on the committee, so if there are hearings, well be seeing a lot of you. Thank you for coming on and sharing your perspective. Look forward to seeing you again, chuck, thank you. Four years ago when scalias death nine months before the president ial election left a vi vi vick an i is at the court, they made it clears they had to wait for a president to vote for the next president. The campaign is already under way. Voters get to weigh in. Its about the principle. You dont do this in an election year. The mesh people will choose. Let the American People consider it as part of deciding who to support in november. That was when democrat barack obama was in the white house. Now manufactu now many of the same senators are saying dont wait. Trump should get to pick the successor. That includes my next guest, john baraso of wyoming. Welcome back to meet the press. I want to give you awe chance, what do you think her legacy . A great figure. This is a huge loss for our country. We think of her as a trailblazer in so many ways. She had the western spirit of gr grit and endurance and determination. She was a role model for many. For young women on my staff who went into the law, she was an n inspiration for many of them. Shell be long remembered for the trail she blazed. Senator, i want to get into the politics. To you are years ago you were emphatic on various ways. You would add on a different times. I want to get the American People a voice in this. Why dont you want to give the American People a voice this time . Lets be clear. If the shoe were on the white house and senate this he would right now be trying to con firearm another member of the Supreme Court. It was completely xunt with the precedent. Lets go back. We were following the joe biden rule. Joe biden was clearly is clear when he was trarm of the judiciary committee. He said when there is a senate of one party and white house of others, he said this to George Herbert walker bush, he said if there is a vacancy in the final year, well not confirm. 29 times there have been vacancy an czys s in the year of an election. Fch both the house and senate are of the same parti, they go forward with the confirmation. So, you know, i scoured all of the 2016 notes looking for the footnotes added now. You have this new explanation. Never once on the senate floor when an election is months away you said people should be allowed to consider possible Supreme Court nominees. This shouldnt be controversial. You said this is not about the person, its about the principle involved. I want to give the American People a voice in this. Republicans said there should not be a bitter political fight. We called on the president o to spa spare the country this fight. Senator, these are your words. Not once did you say it depends on what party the senate holds versus the party the president. This sounds like a power grab. This is the biden rule. You havent had since 1888 when a party of the senate and the house and the white house were of different parties than anyone was confirmed and that was the situation. Chuck schumer said the same thing at the end of george w. Bushs term that if the vacancy occurred with the president bush a republican in the white house and democrats under harry reid and Chuck Schumer in charge of the senate that they would not confirm. Now when you have both parties and the white house and the senate historically the confirmation goes forward. And thats whats going to happen here. Look, senator, i want the senate will make a nomination this week i believe. I get that. Senator, nobody, nobody in the Senate Republican conference was arguing these fine footnote points that you and your other colleagues argue now. I want to play a clip for from you 2018 from lindsey graham. Take a listen. If an opening comes in the last year of President Trumps term, and the primary process started, well wait until the next election. I have a pretty good chance being youre on the record. All right. Hold the tape. Senator, i guess the question is should viewers when should should viewers just not believe anything youre saying today because whatever youre saying today will change depending on the politics at the moment . I can tell what you is going to happen. For viewers watching, the president will make a nomination. I believe it will be this week. Lindsey graham, chairman of t