Investigation comes first, SCOTUS nomination second

As Republicans get ready to pack the Supreme Court with conservative justices, they should take a step back and remember we're in the middle of the Mueller investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

As much as they would like to sweep it under the rug, a very real possibility exists that we may find that, yes, Donald Trump and company cheated to win and his presidency is thus illegitimate.

Trump has already made one pick that should have been made by President Barack Obama. It was stolen by U.S. Sens. Mitch McConnell, R-Kent., and Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.

A president possibly tainted by collusion and obstruction of justice has no business picking another Supreme Court justice.

Additionally, if Trump gets his pick it will mean, of the nine justices on the court, four will have been picked by Republican presidents who lost the popular vote. Republicans may win in the short term, but the majority of Americans will take a dim view of such ill-gotten gains and hold Republicans accountable at the ballot box.

Tom Jacobson

Riverside