Ruth Bader Ginsburg says Constitution makes abolishing Electoral College 'largely a dream'

close

Video

Is the Electoral College 'terrible for a democracy'?

New York Times op-ed calls to fix, scrap Electoral College; reaction from former Schumer aide Chris Hahn and talk radio host Tony Katz.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said this week that efforts to scrap the Electoral College are “more theoretical than real," according to a report.

“It’s largely a dream because our Constitution is … hard to amend,” Ginsburg said while speaking at the University of Chicago on Monday, The Chicago Sun-Times reported. “I know that from experience.”

The 86-year-old justice has previously expressed support for moving to a popular vote.

WHY DEMOCRATS WANT TO ABOLISH ELECTORAL COLLEGE, PACK SUPREME COURT

"There are some things I would like to change. One is the Electoral College,” Ginsburg said in 2017, according to The Hill. “But that would require a constitutional amendment, and amending our Constitution is powerfully hard to do.”

The Electoral College has come under increased scrutiny by Democrats since President Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in the Electoral College vote in 2016 after losing in the popular vote. Former President George W. Bush also defeated former Vice President Al Gore in 2000 via the Electoral College after losing the popular vote.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has called the system a "scam," and a majority of Democratic presidential candidates are open to eliminating it, The Washington Times reported.

On the Republican side, Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, tweeted last month that the Electoral College helps maintain a representative democracy.

"We live in a republic, which means 51% of the population doesn’t get to boss around the other 49%," he wrote.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Conservative columnist George Will and former U.S. Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, have said the Electoral College encourages candidates to campaign nationally and helps give representation to smaller states.