Joy Reid posts incorrect tweet knocking McConnell's SCOTUS wins: 'All it took was three people to die'

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McConnell reacts to Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court confirmation

Senate Majority Leader joins Shannon Bream for a 'Fox News @ Night' exclusive interview

MSNBC host Joy Reid attempted to throw a wet blanket on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's achievement of shepherding three Supreme Court justices to confirmation, but got a major fact wrong in the process. 

On Tuesday, Amy Coney Barrett was officially sworn in as the 115th Supreme Court justice after being confirmed by the Senate in a 52-48 vote on Monday. 

Washington Monthly contributor David Atkins downplayed the top Republican's role in the confirmation process, claiming he got "lucky" that cancer took the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg "when it did."

"McConnell is taking a victory lap, but he didn't actually *do* anything," Atkins asserted. "He violated decades-old norms to blockade Obama's nominee, then got lucky that cancer took RBG when it did. It took no genius to do that. It just took shamelessness and disregard for the consequences."

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Reid agreed with Atkins' sentiment, but made an unfortunate error in doing so.

"And all it took was three people to die. That’s not an accomplishment. It’s political vulturism," Reid tweeted. 

In fact, it did not take "three people to die" to fill the three vacancies. While Barrett and Justice Neil Gorsuch replaced Ginsburg and the late Justice Antonin Scalia respectively, Justice Brett Kavanaugh filled a vacancy after Justice Anthony Kennedy retired in 2018. 

Others expressed their confusion on social media. 

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"Anthony Kennedy is dead?" Washington Examiner commentator T. Becket Adams asked. "You really don't need to know anything to host a cable news show."

"Anthony Kennedy is alive..." Daily Caller's Peter J. Hasson similarly pointed out. 

"Let Merrick Garland Rest In Peace," conservative commentator Stephen Miller quipped, referring to President Obama's blocked SCOTUS nominee following Scalia's passing. 

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Much of Barrett's confirmation was downplayed by MSNBC and CNN. Both networks skipped the historic Senate vote and MSNBC skipped almost the entirety of the White House ceremony marking the occasion Monday night.