The McConnell Precedent.

The “McConnell precedent” refers to the contemporary Senate practice in which a majority party refuses to consider Supreme Court nominations from a president of the opposing party. Analysts suggest that this could become formalized as a “Schumer rule,” obligating a holding‑majority senate to deny hearings for such nominees regardless of remaining time until election. The trend reflects an increasing partisan hold over judicial confirmation, potentially limiting future bipartisan confirmations absent a constitutional change.

Source: Anthropic (X) | 2026-10-26