Itself as a new three level alert system to fight coronavirus comes in. But will it work . We will get an exclusive verdict from one of the sports biggest legends. Hello, im katty kay in washington, James Reynolds is in london. Amy Coney Barrett promises to apply the law as it is written, not as she wishes it were. Which sounds entirely reasonable and ought to reassure democrats that the judge does not intend to use a seat on the Supreme Court to further her own, conservative philosophy. Except, they clearly dont really believe her. Democratic senators who are in the minority in the senate think Coney Barrett will tilt the highest court in the land to the right, potentially for decades to come. But, theres little they can do about it. Republicans control the senate and have the numbers to confirm her. Aleem maqbool reports. If confirmed, Amy Tony Barrett will play a huge role. The stakes are that high. The republican chair of the Senate Committee making the decision once promised not to try and confirm a Supreme Courtjustice in the last year of a president ial term. But he has reneged on that. This is going to be a long, contentious week. I would just ask one thing of the committee. To the extent possible, lets make it respectful. In their opening statements, democrats focused on what they called extremist views held by amy Coney Barrett. They said these would threaten the Health Care Provision for millions of americans, and many other aspects of american life. With this nomination, equal justice under law is at stake. Our voting rights. At stake. Workers rights are at stake. The right to a safe and legal abortion is at stake. One man is dead set on making sure that amy Coney Barrett is appointed before the election, heavily tilting the Supreme Court conservative. Gathering he had to announce her nomination just gathering he had to announce her nominationjust over two gathering he had to announce her nomination just over two weeks ago is now thought to have been a coronavirus super spreader event. Co ntroversially, coronavirus super spreader event. Controversially, some of those who tested positive there participated in the hearing today. Thank you, mr chairman. Some said that the process had been postponed but kept returning to the way in which amy Coney Barrett would shape policies, something that she said would not be herjob. Our courts are not designed to solve every problem or right every wrong in oui to solve every problem or right every wrong in our public life. The policy decisions and value judgments of government must be made by the political branches, elected by and accountable to the people. Her nomination comes after the death of ruth brady ginsberg, the iconic and pioneering justice. Ruth brady ginsberg, the iconic and pioneeringjustice. Some ruth brady ginsberg, the iconic and pioneering justice. Some of those protesting the new nomination feel strongly that the American People who had only voted in their millions should be the ones to decide whether the next justice is should be the ones to decide whether the nextjustice is conservative or liberal. Republicans say the public already recorded their view and they voted for donald trump four years ago. The bbcs Laura Trevelyan has been watching todays events and joins us live now. There are lots of reasons democrats dont like this appointment. They dont like this appointment. They dont like this appointment. They dont like it because they feel it is politically unfair because they feel that they were robbed by republicans at the chance to put a Supreme Courtjustice republicans at the chance to put a Supreme Court justice in republicans at the chance to put a Supreme Courtjustice in the end of president obamas term, they dont like policies. Its all irrelevant because she is going to be nominated and she is going to be confirmed and she will become a supreme justice. Absolutely, also, this is a moment for republicans to try and flip the script of the race, to stop talking about coronavirus and instead say, here is President Trump, re elect him because he will get a third conservative justice him because he will get a third conservativejustice confirmed to the Supreme Court. Whats more, as there is this incredible gender gap opening up in the polling, this is a chance the republicans to showcase an accomplished, successful mother of seven, first in her class in law school, brilliant legal scholar from the midwest and say the democrats, why are you opposing this example of the American Dream . So its a welcome chance for republicans to change the subject and, as you say, there isnt a thing the democrats can do about it apart from trying to slow it down. James . I was doing my listening face the. I wonder if thats what a successful nominee has to do. Do they really good listening face for the first few hours of the hearing and then say nothing particularly controversial. All of the senate is on Thejudiciary Committee will have 30 mitts to question her. That begins tomorrow. The republicans will talk about her resume, democrats will say, you are going to kill the Affordable Care act when it comes up in front of the Supreme Court on november the 10th because youve already been critical of the chiefjustice john because youve already been critical of the chiefjusticejohn roberts for upholding obama care in a vote a few years ago so they will hammer that, and they will say that the Affordable Care act is on the ballot, with the confirmation of amy Coney Barrett. Also, they will say that she has twice signed petitions ina that she has twice signed petitions in a personal capacity when she was a professor at law school saying that she doesnt like the federal abortion law. So those are the two things that you can expect the democrats to go on and also she is confirmed to the court, President Trump will see her as someone who will take her side if there is any question about counting ballots. |j wonder how the democrats are considering her religion, shes a catholic, it says in the constitution that they cant be any religious tests for office. Well, amy Coney Barrett is a charismatic catholic, joe biden is also a catholic, he warned Democratic Senators not to go down the route of her faith today. When she was confirmed to a lower court in 2017, there was an exchange in which she was told by another leading democrat that the dogma lived within her. So, this was clearly seen as imposing some kind of religious liberty test, so some kind of religious liberty test, so republicans have been talking about that all day, i think democrats cant avoid her fate and instead just hammer home this idea that in the middle of a pandemic she will be the vote that kills the Affordable Health care act, so they claim. Thank you. It was interesting in hearing how she had all of her children, they were all behind her in the hearing, she made a big point in saying that i will be a first mother of Young Children to be a Supreme Courtjustice, mother of Young Children to be a Supreme Court justice, i mother of Young Children to be a Supreme Courtjustice, i will be the first known ivy league candidate, very much presenting herself as the kind of woman that republicans would like to have vote for them, those suburban mums and i think it was an effective betrayal of somebody who came across as reasonable, soft spoken, very much a mother, as an attractive candidate. All credit to the kids are being on the front iow to the kids are being on the front row and listening to hours and hours. Hours and hours of bloviating senators. Very well behaved kids. South carolina democrat Jamie Harrison has broken records bringing in an eye popping 57 million in three months for his campaign against lindsay graham. Before that, the biggest quarterly hole 38 million. That was beto orourke during his challenge to ted cruz in 2018. Those are incredible numbers. In last years uk general election, lets have a look. All Political Parties received a total of 40 million in donations. That is in total. What did they spend it on both here and what it is spent on over there . Well, here they spent it ona over there . Well, here they spent it on a lot of television advertising. But, remember, it doesnt guarantee you a victory. We all know what happened to be too orourke. He won all of that money he was the darling for the moment and he didnt win because its very difficult for a democrat to win in texas. Well, guess what . Its also very average democrat to win in South Carolina. I was speaking with Jamie Harrison earlier today on a programme and he was saying that he is going to try and win this by focusing on issues, things that people from South Carolina care about. Lindsey graham has become a very big figure, we saw him in the confirmation hearing today, he has been in washington a long time and according to Jamie Harrison, he has forgotten about people from South Carolina. He has left them, gone to washington, and he will try and win them back. I still think even with that amount of money will be hard. South carolina is not a state that is friendly for democrats. You or the democrats have to win South Carolina to win back the senate . No. If they win South Carolina, we are looking at not a blue wave, a blue tsunami that is taking over this country because if they win South Carolina. North carolina, they would like. But South Carolina, they would like. But South Carolina hasnt been on the battlefield. Ifjoe carolina hasnt been on the battlefield. If joe biden carolina hasnt been on the battlefield. Ifjoe biden wins florida ifjoe biden wins florida then he wins the white house, florida e, or at least, thats what democrats are saying with remarkable confidence. The hitch is he has to win it and the polls show a very tight race. Donald trump won the state in 2016 and republicans did well there again in the mid term elections of 2018. But those tightening polls are why the president is heading south today, for his first rally since being diagnosed with covid. Nomia iqbal is in the sunshine state, in sanford, where President Trump is expected later. The president has a mansion in florida. Do floridians see him as one of their own . I think they do. I wasjust talking to one of their own . I think they do. I was just talking to a few of, well, as you can see, many of his supporters are here. There was one man from new york who now lives in florida and he completely identifies the donald trump. He says that he is his hero. Its really interesting because here at the rally, we are getting our temperature is checked, face masks, and lots of the supporters that are coming here are also. Quite ironic because the main event himself, donald trump, is recovering from coronavirus, but when you stop and ask people how they feel about that, they say that they feel about that, they say that they are not concerned about it, they are not concerned about it, they are not concerned about it, they are full of admiration for the fa ct they are full of admiration for the fact that hes coming here, that is the first state that he will be doing as rally ins the virus and they feel it makes him look president ial. You saw donald trump junior . What was that like . What voters is he after . Yes, so he was doing a bus tour through florida and he concluded it yesterday. This was aimed at the latino vote, it was a much smaller rally, but he had lots of people from all different backgrounds there, venezuelans, cubans, vietnamese people as well, and they are really throwing everything at florida. Mike pence was here earlier in the week. Donald trump junior was introduced on was here earlier in the week. Donald trumpjunior was introduced on stage bya trumpjunior was introduced on stage by a very famous cuban american cage fighter here and he talked about how his parents had fled cuba when they we re young his parents had fled cuba when they were young and theyre hoping that sort of message resonates, with the older voters, because they want to paint the democrats as socialist, communists, who are hell bent on destroying america. Thank you for joining us. The white house hopes it has a number of groups in florida in its favour. The state has conservative leaning cuban americans, an increasing number of similarly anti left wing venezuelan americans and a lot of retirees. Its those older voters who gave mr trump a big boost in 2016. But this year, polls suggest, they may be leaning towards joe biden. So have floridas Senior Citizens soured on mr trump . Lets check in with florida voter Dave Davidson hes 68 years old and has lived in the state for five years. He joins us now from the villages the Worlds Largest retirement community. You voted for donald trump in 2016. How do you feel about today . you voted for donald trump in 2016. How do you feel about today . I have found myself recently deciding that ican no found myself recently deciding that i can no longer place my trust in donald trump. I think thats the greatest thing that ive lost over the past three and a half years. I have lost trust, we talk about the campaign trailand have lost trust, we talk about the campaign trail and looking at it, that the trail would lead somewhere and we would have somebody be a leader and bring us to that place. I dont see donald trump as being able to do that any longer and unless something drastic happens, i will not be able to vote for him. Dave, is there anything in particular that made you move away from mr trump . Looking at the way people live here in america, i need someone who will more united than dividers. I dont see donald trump doing that. I dont see donald trump doing that. I dont see him being an individual with a plan he was able to go and reach out to all americans. We talk about republicans and democrats, people who lean left and people who lean right. I would like to think we go ahead and look at us all as americans. We need a plan, we need a specific plan. Not just americans. We need a plan, we need a specific plan. Notjust ideas and then actually have a plan, we have to have the ability to exercise a plan, no matter how frightening it might be, we have to exercise it. I dont see donald trump as having that, i dont have the trust and faith in him. It almost sounds like you are more anti drug than pro biden. Has joe you are more anti drug than pro biden. Hasjoe biden said anything that makes you think, i like the sound of that. |j anything that makes you think, i like the sound of that. I dont think i am against trump, i am pro american. Im an individual who would like to see this country restored to some level of sanity. When i look at mr biden, i see a man that i believe i could trust. He may eventually go ahead and prove me wrong, and i were livid that decision but i dont see myself as being against trump, i see myself as being against trump, i see myself as being pro american, looking for someone being pro american, looking for someone who will lead this country and represent me to my fellow americans and bring ideas that will go and unify us. Thats what im looking for. When you meet up with others in the community of friends, do you talk about politics is that simply too rude the moment . do you talk about politics is that simply too rude the moment . I dont know if its rude, but i prefer to talk about issues rather than politics. Issues are whats important. Politics are passion, politics and how you feel. Issues are what is important to me and this is where i see a lack of communication on mr trumps part. My partner, she is a democrat and we do not discuss politics. However, we do discuss issues and see some Common Grounds between the two others as faras grounds between the two others as far as how we can go and promote what we have seen to be important issues, how we can go and make happen. Dave, when you talk about issues and plans, is there anything in particular that you are thinking about . Is there any one area where you feel the president has not had a plan . I would love for someone to tell me what his plan is for anything. I work very hard in trying to understand his plans and it seems that what planning might have now will change rapidly. The time it takes me to go ahead and put my teacup down and find that he has retweeted something completely different from what he originally suggested. I dont really appreciate that. Especially with what i consider to be our leader. Our great nation. Dave, thank you. Very interesting. Super interesting to hear that perspective from down in florida. For those watching on bbc world news well be right back. Boris johnson has defended the introduction of a new three tier system of restrictions in england. At a news conference, the Prime Minister explained that the number of people being treated in hospitalfor covid was now higher than it had been before lockdown in march. Th