Live updates: Ruth Bader Ginsburg in state at US Capitol | CNN Politics

Ruth Bader Ginsburg lies in state at US Capitol

Veronica Rocha
By Melissa Macaya and Veronica Rocha, CNN
Updated 3:58 PM EDT, Fri September 25, 2020
Ruth Bader Ginsburg most memorable speeches ak orig_00000000.jpg
Video Ad Feedback
Hear RBG's most memorable speeches
2:44 • Source: CNN
Ruth Bader Ginsburg most memorable speeches ak orig_00000000.jpg
2:44

What we covered here

  • Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s body lay in state at the US Capitol. She became the first woman and Jewish person in history to do so there.
  • Earlier this week, her body lay in repose on the top of the front steps of the Supreme Court building for the public to pay their respects.
  • Ginsburg died last Friday at the age of 87 due to complications of metastatic pancreatic cancer. She served on the court for more than 27 years.
  • Our live coverage has ended. Watch and read below to catch up on the biggest moments.
20 Posts

Bipartisan group of female senators give Justice Ginsburg a final farewell 
The casket of the late Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is carried following ceremonies honoring Ginsburg at the U.S. Capitol on September 25 in Washington, DC.
The casket of the late Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is carried following ceremonies honoring Ginsburg at the U.S. Capitol on September 25 in Washington, DC.
Jonathan Ernst/Pool/Getty Images

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was joined by a bipartisan group of female lawmakers from the House and Senate to bid farewell to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as her casket departed the US Capitol.

Earlier this morning, Ginsburg became the first woman and Jewish person in history to lie in state in the building.

Throughout her more than 27 years on the Supreme Court, Ginsburg became a trailblazer for women’s rights and a role model to generations. Ginsburg was the second woman to serve on the highest court, after Sandra Day O’Connor.

The lawmakers waved goodbye as the hearse carrying her casket drove away from the US Capitol.

Watch the moment:

Video Ad Feedback
eef0e47f-47cd-420a-878b-ef24f260c76a.mp4
5:56 • Source: cnn
5:56 • cnn

Snapchat launches augmented reality tribute to Ginsburg

From CNN's Rachel Janfaza
Courtesy Snapchat

Snapchat teamed up with the National Constitution Center to launch an augmented reality tribute to the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Friday.

When Snapchatters visit the US Capitol, they will have an opportunity to learn more about Ginsburg, her legacy and the Constitution.

The tribute can be found by pointing Snapchat’s camera – the primary screen when the app is opened – at the Capitol building and tapping on the screen.

Using a type of technology called Landmarker Lenses that weaves together an augmented reality experience into the physical world, a viewer will see one of Ginsburg’s quotes in which she described how she would like to be remembered written in the sky above the Capitol, and on the building itself, Snapchat told CNN.

The quote comes from a 2015 interview that aired on “The Rachel Maddow Show.”

Following the quote, a ray of light appears on Snapchatters’ screens, shining on the Capitol dome.

According to Snapchat, Snapchatters can then tap on the lens to learn more information provided by the National Constitution Center.

“We were honored to partner with the National Constitution Center on this augmented reality experience to honor Justice Ginsburg’s legacy, using the power of her words,” Sofia Gross, public policy manager at Snap, told CNN.

The tribute will remain on the app through Oct. 2.

Snapchat launched their landmark lenses in 2019. In addition to the US Capitol, Snapchat landmarks include the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Flatiron Building in New York City and the TLC Chinese Theater in Los Angeles.

Senior defense and military leaders pay their respects to Justice Ginsburg

From CNN's Barbara Starr and Austen Bundy

Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and the Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, led a Pentagon delegation to pay their respects to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in the US Capitol.

Ginsburg died last Friday at the age of 87 due to complications of metastatic pancreatic cancer. She served on the court for more than 27 years.

Watch the Pentagon delegation here:

Video Ad Feedback
6e0f3853-9a45-4a5b-9f63-81aefcd617d4.mp4
0:20 • Source: cnn
0:20 • cnn

Mostly Democrats attended Justice Ginsburg's ceremony today

From CNN's Manu Raju, Ted Barrett, Nicky Robertson and Austen Bundy

During Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s services in the US Capitol Friday, CNN spotted only a handful of Republicans paying their respects to the late justice. 

The only republican senator that CNN spotted was Mike Enzi of Wyoming. Two other Republican lawmakers were spotted, including Rep. Debbie Lesko and House Minority Whip Steve Scalise. 

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell did not attend the event, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy was not spotted at the event either. 

McConnell’s office declined to comment as to why he didn’t attend. McCarthy’s spokesperson did not respond to repeated requests for comment. 

Some Republicans did pay their respects while she was lying in repose at the Supreme Court on Wednesday and Thursday. McConnell also delivered oral remarks from the Senate floor praising her legacy this week.  

The House and the Senate are not in session today so many lawmakers have already traveled home for the weekend. CNN did spot many Democratic senators and House members attending the ceremony. 

Ginsburg’s trainer Bryant Johnson stopped and did pushups when he paid his respects in front of the casket.

Ginsburg, who is the first woman and first Jewish person to lie in state at the US Capitol, was there for roughly three hours. 

Harris on Justice Ginsburg: “She broke so many barriers… knowing that people like me could follow”

From CNN’s Ted Barrett
Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris speaks with members of Congress and guests prior to a memorial service in honor of the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the US Capitol, September 25 in Washington, DC.
Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris speaks with members of Congress and guests prior to a memorial service in honor of the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the US Capitol, September 25 in Washington, DC.
Erin Schaff/Pool/Getty Images

Leaving the US Capitol after attending the ceremony to honor the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sen. Kamala Harris spoke briefly about Ginsburg’s impact on the country and on her personally by helping clear a path for her candidacy.

Harris agreed that Ginsburg had cleared a path for her.

“Because she first of all made America see what leadership looks like and in the law, in terms of public service and she broke so many barriers and I know she did it intentionally knowing that people like me could follow,” she said.

Harris declined to discuss the peaceful transfer of power or other news of the day saying she wanted to keep the focus on Ginsburg.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg's personal trainer did push-ups in his final respects

From CNN's Aditi Sangal
Pool

Bryant Johnson, Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s personal trainer, did three push-ups as he paid his final respects to the late justice inside the US Capitol.

Justice Ginsburg was consistent in her workouts and became an unlikely fitness role model. She continued her workouts at the Supreme Court gym even as gyms shut down due to the pandemic, Johnson said in April. In July, she revealed that she was undergoing chemotherapy to treat a recurrence of cancer.

Watch the moment:

Video Ad Feedback
e33e766b-1be6-43ad-b1ca-6783665a91d9.mp4
0:24 • Source: cnn
0:24 • cnn

"Wonderful memories" Joe Biden says of Justice Ginsburg as he departs ceremony

From CNN’s Kristin Wilson
Pool

“It was like when I met her when I did her hearing. I was the chairman of the committee when she was confirmed,” Democratic presidential nominee and former vice president Joe Biden said of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. “Wonderful memories.”

Jill and Joe Biden attended the US Capitol ceremony to honor the legendary jurist.

Pelosi: "Ruth Bader Ginsburg: petite in size, monumental in impact"  
Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer pay their respects to the late Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as her casket lies in state during a memorial service in her honor in the Statuary Hall of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on September 25.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer pay their respects to the late Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as her casket lies in state during a memorial service in her honor in the Statuary Hall of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on September 25.
Greg Nash/Pool/AFP/Getty Images

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi released a statement on Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg lying in state at the US Capitol. Ginsburg became the first woman and Jewish person in history to do so there.

Read a portion of Pelosi’s statement:

CNN's Ariane de Vogue on Ginsburg's love for music and the private opera gatherings she would host 
Denyce Graves sings as U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's flag-draped casket rests on the Lincoln catafalque in Statuary Hall as she lies in state at the U.S. Capitol on September 25 in Washington, DC.
Denyce Graves sings as U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's flag-draped casket rests on the Lincoln catafalque in Statuary Hall as she lies in state at the U.S. Capitol on September 25 in Washington, DC.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

CNN’s Ariane de Vogue shared an anecdote about Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s love for American operatic soprano Denyce Graves and the private opera gatherings she would host at the court for a few guests.

Graves performed “American Anthem” in today’s memorial, accompanied by pianist Laura Ward.

Ginsburg lies in state at US Capitol as family and political leaders pay their respects 
Members of Congress and guests pay their respects to the late Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as her casket lies in state during a memorial service in her honor in the Statuary Hall at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on September 25.
Members of Congress and guests pay their respects to the late Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as her casket lies in state during a memorial service in her honor in the Statuary Hall at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on September 25.
Olivier Douliery/Pool/AFP/Getty Images

The family of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, including daughter Jane and son James, paid their final respects to the late Supreme Court justice as she lay in state inside the US Capitol.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also paid their respects in front of the casket, as did Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his wife Jill.

Ginsburg’s casket will lie in state inside National Statuary Hall this morning. A private interment will be held next week at Arlington National Cemetery.

Watch:

Rabbi: Justice Ginsburg brought "real change" through "dogged persistence"

From CNN's Aditi Sangal
Rabbi Lauren Holtzblatt speaks during a ceremony to honor the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as she lies in state at Statuary Hall in the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on September 25.
Rabbi Lauren Holtzblatt speaks during a ceremony to honor the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as she lies in state at Statuary Hall in the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on September 25.
Greg Nash/Pool/AFP/Getty Images

In her tribute to Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Rabbi Lauren Holtzblatt spoke about the late justice’s persistent work to bring “real change.”

Rabbi Holtzblatt recounted the many victories in Justice Ginsburg’s life in the face of loss and challenges, including her husband’s illness and her own bouts of cancer.

“Each time, she pressed forward. She returned to work, to the bench, to the court, with focus. Each and every time,” she said. “Pursuing justice took resilience, persistence, a commitment to never stop.”

Watch:

Rabbi: "We, the people, must carry on Justice Ginsburg's legacy"
Pool

In a US Capitol ceremony to honor Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Rabbi Lauren Holtzblatt said the late justice had a “tenacious hope to preserve the integrity of the court.”

“And Justice Ginsburg also loved the court, to which she so devoted her life. A court for all of us,” Holtzblatt said.

The rabbi called on the country to carry on her legacy of justice.

Ginsburg became the first woman and first Jewish person in history to lie in state inside the US Capitol.

Speaker Pelosi welcomes Justice Ginsburg to lie in state in the US Capitol

From CNN's Aditi Sangal
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks during a ceremony to honor the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as she lies in state at National Statuary Hall at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on September 25.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks during a ceremony to honor the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as she lies in state at National Statuary Hall at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on September 25.
Greg Nash/Pool/AFP/Getty Images

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi welcomed Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to lie in state in the US Capitol on Friday.

Her casket was placed on top of the Lincoln catafalque inside National Statuary Hall by the honor guard. Ginsburg is the first woman and first Jewish person in history to lie in state inside the US Capitol.

Watch Speaker Pelosi:

Video Ad Feedback
6438522f-0b95-4c62-b470-d1785a57615b.mp4
0:40 • Source: cnn
0:40 • cnn

Justice Ginsburg makes history one final time

From CNN's Janelle Davis
U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's flag-draped casket is carried into Statuary Hall where she will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol on September 25 in Washington, DC.
U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's flag-draped casket is carried into Statuary Hall where she will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol on September 25 in Washington, DC.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is still making history, even after her death.

Ginsburg, who died last Friday due to complications of metastatic pancreas cancer, became the first woman to lie in state in the US Capitol on Friday, according to congressional historians. She’s also the first Jewish person to be given that honor.

Her casket was placed on top of the Lincoln catafalque inside National Statuary Hall by the honor guard.

What this honor means: Lying in state (for government official and military officers) and lying in honor (for private citizens) is when someone’s remains are placed in the US Capitol in Washington, DC, to allow the public to pay their respects.

This tribute is considered one of the highest honors.

Since the practice started in 1852, 38 people — counting Ginsburg — have been given this honor, including 12 presidents.

There are no written rules on who may lie in state or honor. It is determined by the current House and Senate and then must be accepted by the family of the deceased.

Watch her casket be placed inside the US Capitol:

Video Ad Feedback
9b4c451f-0c26-4a48-bab8-85543e66b5c3.mp4
2:11 • Source: cnn
2:11 • cnn

Justice Ginsburg's casket arrives at US Capitol

From CNN's Janelle Davis
The flag-draped casket of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is carried by a joint services military honor guard to lie in state at the U.S. Capitol on September 25 in Washington, DC.
The flag-draped casket of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is carried by a joint services military honor guard to lie in state at the U.S. Capitol on September 25 in Washington, DC.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP

The casket of Justice Bader Ginsburg has arrived on the Capitol Plaza after it lay in repose at the Supreme Court Wednesday and Thursday.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer greeted the motorcade alongside members of Ginsburg’s family. The honor guard will be escorting the casket.

Ginsburg will become the first woman and Jewish person in history to lie in state in the US Capitol when her casket is placed shortly in National Statuary Hall.

Lying in state (for government official and military officers) and lying in honor (for private citizens) is when someone’s remains are placed in the US Capitol in Washington, DC, to allow the public to pay their respects. This tribute is considered one of the highest honors.

Watch her casket be taken into the US Capitol:

Video Ad Feedback
94cde980-2fc5-491f-ba79-3ed1c19cbf06.mp4
5:05 • Source: cnn
5:05 • cnn

How Justice Ginsburg spent her final weeks living as if there'd be many more

From CNN's Joan Biskupic and Ariane de Vogue
The flag-draped casket of Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg arrives in the Great Hall at the U.S. Supreme Court, on September 23 in Washington, DC.
The flag-draped casket of Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg arrives in the Great Hall at the U.S. Supreme Court, on September 23 in Washington, DC.
Andrew Harnik/Pool/Getty Images

In the weeks right before her death, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was still conferring on cases, penning notes to friends and continuing to schedule social events, including a wedding that she was to officiate the day she died.

Ginsburg, who had been fighting complications from metastatic cancer of the pancreas, was taken to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore a week earlier, stayed for a few days, and returned home on September 11, according to two people familiar with the situation. Her medical condition during that time is not known, and the Supreme Court public information officer said on Thursday that the family did not wish to provide details of Ginsburg’s final days.

The 87-year-old justice’s situation turned severe the week of September 14, and she died the evening of September 18, surrounded by her family.

Until the sudden end, the woman who had become known as the “Notorious RBG” was living as if there would be more tomorrows.

An in-demand wedding officiant: Eric Motley, whose wedding she was to officiate the night of her death, was told two days earlier, without reference to Ginsburg’s medical condition, that the wedding would have to be postponed.

“I had been in touch with the chambers, in preparation for Friday,” Motley told CNN. “They said we need to push it back, let’s look at some other days.”

Motley, who wrote about the planned wedding with Ginsburg in an essay for the New York Times, told CNN that he and the justice had exchanged personal emails during the summer and that she had sent him an upbeat note and photograph of the two of them, speaking with a maestro during an opera reception, pre-coronavirus. Ginsburg and Motley, who came to Washington as a special assistant to President George W. Bush, first met in 2002 at a dinner party and realized they shared a love of music.

Ginsburg had planned to marry Motley and his fiancée in a quiet ceremony on a patio at her apartment. She had officiated at a similar outdoor ceremony last month, after which the newlyweds posted a photo on Twitter. Ginsburg, clad in her black judicial robe and one of her distinctive decorative collars, was sitting at a lectern between them.

Motley, executive vice president of the Aspen Institute, said of Ginsburg’s spirits in recent communications: “They were always good, always strong. This was a woman who was made to live. And she will live on.”

Read the full story here.

Justice Ginsburg will be honored at the US Capitol today. Here's a look at the schedule.

The U.S. Capitol is seen prior to the arrival of the flag-draped casket of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg that will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol on September 25 in Washington, DC.
The U.S. Capitol is seen prior to the arrival of the flag-draped casket of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg that will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol on September 25 in Washington, DC.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will become the first woman in history to lie in state in the US Capitol today.

Here is an outline of today’s events to honor her:

  • The casket will arrive on the Capitol Plaza at 9:30 a.m. ET
  • House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will participate in a formal arrival ceremony for Ginsburg at 10:00 a.m. ET in National Statuary Hall. 
  • The ceremony in Statuary Hall will include a welcome by Pelosi, a reflection by Rabbi Lauren Holtzblatt and two musical selections by American operatic soprano Denyce Graves, accompanied by pianist Laura Ward.
  • A departure ceremony photo opportunity will take place on the East Center steps at approximately 12:30 p.m. ET, where Pelosi will be joined by bipartisan women members of the House and Senate to pay their respects to the justice.

A private interment will be held next week at Arlington National Cemetery.

Nearly 1,000 people sent CNN notes on what RBG meant to them. Read some of them here.

From CNN's David Williams

When Kalina Newman heard that Ruth Bader Ginsburg had died last Friday night, she and her boyfriend immediately left the restaurant where they were having dinner, bought some flowers and went to the US Supreme Court to join the crowd of people honoring the 87-year-old associate justice.

“As soon as I saw the candles and felt how peaceful it was, I began to cry,” Newman told CNN.

Ginsburg, who embraced the nickname “The Notorious RBG” late in life, became a role model to generations because of her sharp wit, her legal knowledge and her fierce dissents.

CNN asked people to share what Ginsburg meant to them and tributes have come in from all over the world.

Many saw her as a real-life super hero — complete with her own action figures — who stood up for the rights of women, minorities and the LGBTQ+ community.

Some said they didn’t agree with the liberal justice’s positions, but admired her for maintaining a long friendship with late Justice Antonin Scalia, despite their ideological difference.

Read some of the stories you shared with us below:

People gather at the Supreme Court on the morning after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 87, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
People gather at the Supreme Court on the morning after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 87, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Related article Nearly 1,000 people sent us notes on what RBG meant to them. Here are some of them

Pelosi: Ginsburg "embodied justice, brilliance and goodness"

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced earlier this week plans for the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to lie in state at the US Capitol.

Pelosi said the justice “embodied justice, brilliance and goodness.”

“Every family in America benefited from her brilliant legacy and courage. Her opinions have unequivocally cemented the precedent that all men and women are created equal,” Pelosi added.

Ginsburg will make history as she lies in state at the US Capitol today

From CNN's Ariane de Vogue

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will become the first woman in history to lie in state in the US Capitol when her casket is placed in National Statuary Hall today, according to congressional historians.

The historic event, which was announced by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi earlier this week, will feature a formal ceremony for invited guests only because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Lying in state is a tribute reserved for the most distinguished government officials and military officers, while lying in honor is a distinction given to private citizens.

Up next

Show all

Read more

Read more

Download the CNN app

Scan the QR code to download the CNN app on Google Play.

Scan the QR code to download the CNN app from Google Play.

Download the CNN app

Scan the QR code to download the CNN app from the Apple Store.

Scan the QR code to download the CNN app from the Apple Store.