News of the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg prompted bipartisan reactions of sympathy and respect across social media, from every political spectrum.
Ginsburg died in her Washington home at age 87, the court said. She died of complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer, the court said.
Politicians, lawmakers, celebrities and others took to Twitter to reflect on Ginsburg’s life, including U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, who called her an “extraordinary champion of justice and equal rights,” and former President George W. Bush, who said Ginsburg "dedicated many of her 87 remarkable years to the pursuit of justice and equality, and she inspired more than one generation of women and girls.”
Tonight, the nation mourns the unimaginable loss of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg – a fierce & fiery champion for fairness & equality.
— Governor Ned Lamont (@GovNedLamont) September 19, 2020
She overcame adversity both in and out of the courtroom, battling gender discrimination at a time when women were rarely serving as lawyers. (1/3)
President Donald Trump, who is expected to announce his nomination to replace Ginsburg in the coming days, said Ginsburg was “an amazing woman who led an amazing life.”
Here is the president’s statement:
Statement from the President on the Passing of Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg pic.twitter.com/N2YkGVWLoF
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 19, 2020
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden honored Ginsburg after he landed in Delaware. She was “not only a giant in the legal profession but a beloved figure,” Biden said.
"Ruth Bader Ginsburg stood for all of us," Biden says.
— Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) September 19, 2020
Here is Biden’s complete statement:
Full statement from Joe Biden on the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg: pic.twitter.com/Y4rvAOl5DC
— Sarah Mucha (@sarahmucha) September 19, 2020
President Bill Clinton, who appointed Ginsburg, said she “exceeded even my highest expectations.”
Bill Clinton: Ginsburg "exceeded even my highest expectations when I appointed her. Her landmark opinions advancing gender equality, marriage equality, the rights of people with disabilities, the rights of immigrants, and so many more moved us closer to 'a more perfect union.'"
— Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) September 19, 2020
We have lost one of the most extraordinary Justices ever to serve on the Supreme Court. Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s life and landmark opinions moved us closer to a more perfect union. And her powerful dissents reminded us that we walk away from our Constitution’s promise at our peril. pic.twitter.com/dDECiBxae6
— Bill Clinton (@BillClinton) September 19, 2020
Chief Justice John Roberts mourned Ginsburg’s passing.
“Our Nation has lost a jurist of historic stature. We at the Supreme Court have lost a cherished colleague. Today we mourn, but with confidence that future generations will remember Ruth Bader Ginsburg as we knew her — a tireless and resolute champion of justice,” Roberts said in a statement.
“”Equal Justice Under the Law.” The death of Justice Ginsburg is a great loss for the country. Our condolences to her children and the scores of people she taught and inspired. She was an exceptional legal scholar, a selfless public servant and a role model.” Gen. Mark A. Milley
— The Joint Staff 🇺🇸 (@thejointstaff) September 19, 2020
Ginsburg announced in July that she was undergoing chemotherapy treatment for lesions on her liver, the latest of her several battles with cancer.
Her rest is earned. It is our turn to fight.
— kerry washington (@kerrywashington) September 19, 2020
Those health issues included five bouts with cancer beginning in 1999, falls that resulted in broken ribs, insertion of a stent to clear a blocked artery and assorted other hospitalizations after she turned 75.
No matter your political party, beliefs, or opinions, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was iconic. While she was soft spoken & demure, she was bold; paving the way for women & spending more than two decades on the bench in the highest court in our great country. She will be missed by so many
— Senator Roger Roth (@SenatorRoth) September 19, 2020
In 1999, Ginsburg had surgery for colon cancer and received radiation and chemotherapy. She had surgery again in 2009 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and in December 2018 for cancerous growths on her left lung. Following the last surgery, she missed court sessions for the first time in more than 25 years on the bench.
Joining the whole nation tonight in mourning the loss of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg—a trailblazer, a dedicated public servant, and an inspiration to so many. My prayers are with her family and friends.
— Mark Meadows (@MarkMeadows) September 19, 2020
Ginsburg also was treated with radiation for a tumor on her pancreas in August 2019. She maintained an active schedule even during the three weeks of radiation. When she revealed a recurrence of her cancer in July, Ginsburg said she remained “fully able” to continue as a justice.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a judicial giant, approved on a 96-3 vote in the United States Senate. She fought for justice and helped make women more equal in the eyes of the law. Whatever your politics, this is an incredible loss. May she Rest In Peace.
— Mayor Eric Johnson (@Johnson4Dallas) September 19, 2020
Joan Ruth Bader was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1933, the second daughter in a middle-class family. Her older sister, who gave her the lifelong nickname “Kiki,” died at age 6, so Ginsburg grew up in Brooklyn’s Flatbush section as an only child. Her dream, she has said, was to be an opera singer.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg led a remarkable life of consequence. She worked with passion & conviction, inspired many women, offered hope to other cancer survivors.
— Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) September 19, 2020
Prayers to her loved ones.
May She Rest In Peace.
Ginsburg graduated at the top of her Columbia University law school class in 1959 but could not find a law firm willing to hire her. She had “three strikes against her” — for being Jewish, female and a mother, as she put it in 2007.
1/ We have lost a champion of justice, an icon and patriot, a woman who lived the concept of building a more perfect union. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg fought for us until the very end, and it is that fighting spirit – pic.twitter.com/YTujDzFwTx
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) September 19, 2020
She had married her husband, Martin, in 1954, the year she graduated from Cornell University. She attended Harvard University’s law school but transferred to Columbia when her husband took a law job there.
Martin Ginsburg went on to become a prominent tax attorney and law professor. Martin Ginsburg died in 2010. She is survived by two children, Jane and James, and several grandchildren.
President George W. Bush on the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. pic.twitter.com/JhMxjk9DYX
— Kelly O'Donnell (@KellyO) September 19, 2020
Ginsburg once said she had not entered the law as an equal-rights champion. “I thought I could do a lawyer’s job better than any other,” she wrote. “I have no talent in the arts, but I do write fairly well and analyze problems clearly.”
Justice Ginsburg paved the way for so many women, including me. There will never be another like her. Thank you RBG.
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) September 19, 2020
My thoughts and prayers are with the family of Ruth Bader Ginsburg tonight. She leaves a legacy of thoughtful public service, a dedication to the law, and a life of great accomplishment. May she Rest In Peace.
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) September 19, 2020
I want to express my sincere condolences to the family of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a titan & legend on the Supreme Court whose undeniably brilliant legal mind & dedication to justice & equality moved our country forward. We’ve lost a champion tonight, but her legacy lives on.
— Maxine Waters (@RepMaxineWaters) September 19, 2020
I’m incredibly saddened by this news. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg spent her life serving our country with passion and integrity. She was an agent for change, an advocate for the voiceless, and her legacy will live on in decisions that made America more equitable for all of us. https://t.co/8xceOr1q76
— Governor Laura Kelly (@GovLauraKelly) September 19, 2020
Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a giant. The world is a different place because of her. More than the laws she forged are the lives she touched. She will always be an American icon—breaking barriers w/courage & conviction, & letting nothing stop her from the classroom to the courtroom. https://t.co/bOyLgwGmYm
— Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) September 19, 2020
Our nation lost one of our greatest heroes and public servants today. My heart breaks as our nation mourns. May Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Rest in Peace, and may our country find a path forward that honors her spirit of justice, equality, and dignity.
— Rep. Jason Crow (@RepJasonCrow) September 19, 2020
Today Coloradans and our nation mourn the loss of a titan. We have lost a fearless advocate for women and families and someone who never stopped working toward greater equality for all in the eyes of the law. I am deeply saddened by the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
— Governor Jared Polis (@GovofCO) September 18, 2020
The way to honor her life and her legacy is to respect her dying wish, which was to ask that her seat not be filled until a new president is sworn in. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, for all you have given us all these decades, I stand ready to fight for your final request.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) September 18, 2020
The passing of the great Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a great loss to the nation. It is a tremendous loss to civil rights for all Americans. RIP RGB.🙏🏽
— Reverend Al Sharpton (@TheRevAl) September 18, 2020
Ann and I send our thoughts and prayers to the family of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg during this time.
— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) September 19, 2020
She was a trailblazer with a distinguished record of service to her country. https://t.co/okGhwqU58D
Just heard the worst news... so sad! Ruth Bader Ginsburg you will live in history forever. May you rest in peace. 😢🙏😢
— Barbra Streisand (@BarbraStreisand) September 19, 2020
My statement on the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg: pic.twitter.com/fFtoOypOrj
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) September 19, 2020