Tiffany Trump calls Ruth Bader Ginsburg a ‘trailblazer for women in the legal field’

Tiffany Trump praised Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg for being a ‘trailblazer for women in the legal field’ and recalled her close relationship with Justice Antonin Scalia in a tribute on Friday. 

The Supreme Court confirmed that Ginsburg died surrounded by her family at her home in Washington D.C. following complications with metastatic pancreatic cancer. She was 87. 

Ginsburg, who served for 27 years on the highest court of the land, had battled several bouts of cancer after first being diagnosed in 2009. 

Social media quickly flooded with tributes and condolences for Ginsburg, including a series of tweets from President Trump’s youngest daughter.

Tiffany, a recent graduate from Georgetown Law School, first shared photos of Ginsburg on Twitter and said she watched her speak during a 2017 lecture at the university.

‘In 2017, I was honored to attend a lecture by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at Georgetown Law,’ Tiffany, 26, wrote.

‘#RBG was a pioneer for women and gender equality— graduating law school when there were only 9 female students and then becoming the 2nd woman Supreme Court Justice.’

In a Twitter thread later Friday evening, Tiffany recalled Ginsburg’s ‘surprising’ friendship with former Justice Antonin Scalia and noted their commitment to justice despite their warring ideologies.

Scalia, who was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1986, was known for his conservative rulings and opinions. Ginsburg often advocated for more liberal and progressive rulings  

‘Thank you, Justice Ginsburg for being a trailblazer for women in the legal field, a pioneer for women and gender equality, and for showing that patriotism hinges not on agreement, but on the unwavering commitment to persevere, to listen, to learn, and to develop together.’ Tiffany wrote.

‘Justice Ginsburg, an icon of the left, and Justice Scalia, an icon of the right, were great friends- regardless of their different ideologies. Ginsburg admired Scalia for his love of the constitution and his fierce devotion to defend it how he believed was intended.

‘Ginsburg often disagreed with his jurisprudence, but she too sought to defend the Constitution how she believed it was intended to by the founders. Scalia once even gave Ginsburg an advance notice of his dissent so Ginsburg could make her majority opinion better…’

Tiffany added that Ginsburg and Scalia’s difference in opinion was dwarfed by their patriotism for their fellow Americans. Scalia served on the Supreme Court for 34 yeas before he died in 2016.

‘What both understood about each other was that, despite their vast differences of opinion, they shared a truly unique bond – that of dedicating their life to advancing this country,’ wrote Tiffany.

‘May we learn from your devout commitment to justice so that we, too, may find extraordinary (and perhaps surprising) friendships among our fellow Americans, and continue your work to build a better and more just nation.’ 

Both President Trump and his second son, Eric, have shared public condolences regarding Ginsburg’s death.

‘Justice Ginsburg was a remarkable woman with an astonishing work ethic. She was a warrior with true conviction and she has my absolute respect!’ wrote Eric.

President Trump, who was informed of Ginsburg’s death following a campaign rally in Minnesota, released a formal statement on Twitter.

‘Renowned for her brilliant mind and her powerful dissents at the Supreme Court, Justice Ginsburg demonstrated that one can disagree without being disagreeable toward one’s colleagues or different points of view,’ the statement read.

‘Her opinions, including well-known decision regarding the legal equality of women and the disabled, have inspired all Americans, and generations of great legal minds.’  

Ginsburg announced she was undergoing chemotherapy to treat lesions on her liver shortly after the Supreme Court finished its work for the summer,

It was the fifth time she’s dealt with cancer in the past 20 years. At the same time, she said she would continue to serve on the court. 

Her death paves the way for Donald Trump to expand his conservative majority on the Supreme Court ahead of November’s election. 

Ginsburg, the leader of the court’s four-member liberal wing, voiced concerns about the political impact of her passing in the days leading up to her death. 

‘My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed,’ the legal pioneer said in a statement dictated to her granddaughter Clara Spera days before her death.

Chief Justice John Roberts led tributes to his colleague Friday describing her as a ‘champion of justice’.

‘Our nation has lost a justice of historic stature,’ Roberts said in a statement. 

‘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 tired and resolute champion of justice.’  

Tributes poured in from political leaders including former president George Bush, Hillary Clinton, and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Hillary Clinton tweeted that Ginsburg, a staunch advocate for women’s rights, paved the way for other women. 

‘Justice Ginsburg paved the way for so many women, including me. There will never be another like her. Thank you RBG,’ Clinton wrote.  

Former president George Bush also paid tribute to Ginsburg in a statement Friday.  

‘Laura and I join our fellow Americans in mourning the loss of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She 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,’ he said. 

‘Justice Ginsburg loved our country and the law. Laura and I are fortunate to have known this smart and humorous trailblazr, and we send our condolences to the Ginsburg family’. 

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo spoke of the state’s heartbreak over the loss over one of its own.

‘NY’s heart breaks with the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg,’ the Democrat tweeted.

‘During her extraordinary career, this Brooklyn native broke barriers & the letters RBG took on new meaning—as battle cry & inspiration. Her legal mind & dedication to justice leave an indelible mark on America.’

Washington Governor Jay Inslee, also a Democrat, described her as an ‘American hero’ and demanded that her ‘dying wish’ to not be replaced on the bench until after the election be respected.

He tweeted: ‘We have lost an American hero and a giant of justice. 

‘May we honor Justice Ginsburg’s legacy by fighting for the civil rights of all Americans and respect her dying wish that she “will not be replaced until a new president is installed.”’

His words were echoed by Senator Cory Booker who urged the nation to carry on ‘her legacy of fairness and equality’.

‘Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a true giant, an American hero and a warrior for justice,’ Booker tweeted.

‘Our country mourns her loss deeply—we must honor her by carrying on her legacy of fairness and equality.’

Tributes also poured in from those on the other side of the political spectrum.  

Senator Lindsey Graham tweeted that he was filled with ‘great sadness’ at the news and that despite their ‘many differences’ he ‘appreciate[d] her service to our nation’.

‘It was with great sadness that I learned of the passing of Justice Ginsburg. Justice Ginsburg was a trailblazer who possessed tremendous passion for her causes. She served with honor and distinction as a member of the Supreme Court,’ he wrote. 

‘While I had many differences with her on legal philosophy, I appreciate her service to our nation. My thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends. May she Rest In Peace.’ 

President Trump is yet to tweet about her passing however estranged niece Mary Trump urged Americans to continue her ‘fight for our country’.

‘Take a moment. Breathe. And then we fight for our country the way she always did for us. Or we will lose everything,’ she wrote on Twitter. 

Ginsburg’s death gives Trump the opportunity to name her successor at a critical time just six weeks before the nation heads to the polls. 

The president has already appointed two members of the Supreme Court, Justices Neil M. Gorsuch and Brett M. Kavanaugh, in a move that pushes the court increasingly right wing.

The replacement of Ginsburg, a Democrat and women’s rights champion, by another Republican will leave the court Democrats outnumbered, with six Republicans to their three.

A debate is expected to ensue over whether Trump should nominate her successor or leave the seat vacant until after the outcome of the election. 

Senator Chuck Schumer tweeted Friday after the news broke of Ginsburg’s death that the position should not be filled until the White House race was over.

‘The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice,’ he tweeted.

‘Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president.’

Ginsburg was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Clinton in 1993 and has served more than 27 years. 

She leaves behind her two children Jane Carol Ginsburg and James Steven Ginsburg, four grandchildren Paul Spera, Clara Spera, Miranda Ginsburg and Abigail Ginsburg, two step-grandchildren Harjinder Bedi and Satinder Bedi, and one great-grandchild Lucrezia Spera. 

Her husband Martin David Ginsburg died in 2010. 

Ginsburg was born in Brooklyn, New York, on March 15 1933.