Those pushing the stalled nomination of Judge Merrick B. Garland to the Supreme Court had hoped that Donald J. Trump’s triumph in the Republican presidential primary would lead to a breakthrough with Senate Republicans who might suddenly see Judge Garland as an acceptable choice, rather than wait for Mr. Trump to lose and allow either Hillary Clinton or Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont to make the pick.
Some conservatives, including the editors of the website RedState, agreed, urging Senate Republicans to act “before it was too late” and not allow President Obama to withdraw Judge Garland’s nomination.
But it was not to be — at least not yet.