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Romney agrees to vote on Trump's Supreme Court pick

Republican Senator Mitt Romney on Tuesday said the Senate should vote on a replacement for liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, all but paving the way for President Trump to name his third justice to the Supreme Court, likely cementing a conservative majority for decades to come.

Romney has been one of the few Republicans in Congress willing to criticize Trump - and even voted to remove Trump from office in the February impeachment trial.

(MITT ROMNEY FROM FEB. 5, 2020):

"The president is guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust."

But he dismissed Democratic arguments that the Senate should wait until after voters decide whether to re-elect Trump or chose his Democratic challenger Joe Biden in the Nov. 3 presidential election.

(MITT ROMNEY): "I came down on the side of the Constitution and precedent as I’ve studied it and made the decision on that basis."

But Democrats are crying fowl, accusing Republican lawmakers of hypocrisy, pointing out that Republicans refused to even consider Democratic President Barack Obama's nominee to fill a vacant Supreme Court seat in 2016 because it was an election year.

Romney said that was not a concern for him this time, adding that in 2016 Washington was split between a Democratic president and a Republican Senate, while this year Republicans control both.

(MITT ROMNEY): "My liberal friends have over many decades gotten very used to the idea of having a liberal court. And that's not written in the stars."

Romney - who twice ran for president unsuccessfully – was among Trump’s harshest critics leading up to the 2016 election.

In a memorably scathing speech that year, Romney said Trump (quote) “lacks the temperament to be president” and that (quote) “dishonesty is Trump’s hallmark.”

He concluded by saying:

(MITT ROMNEY FROM MARCH 3, 2016): “Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud.”

But now with Romney’s support, likely shoring up enough Senate votes to push through a nominee, Trump could do what few presidents have ever done – put three justices on the Supreme Court.

And in this case delivering a 6-3 conservative majority – a long-sought goal of the right.

Trump has mentioned two women federal appeals court judges as potential candidates for the high court - Amy Coney Barrett and Barbara Lagoa.

Trump said he will announce his nominee on Saturday.