Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellObama calls on Senate not to fill Ginsburg's vacancy until after election Planned Parenthood: 'The fate of our rights' depends on Ginsburg replacement Progressive group to spend M in ad campaign on Supreme Court vacancy MORE spoke by phone with Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland on Wednesday despite opposition to taking up his nomination.

"Rather than put Judge Garland through more unnecessary political routines orchestrated by the White House, the Leader decided it would be more considerate of the nominee’s time to speak with him today by phone," according to a summary of the call from Don Stewart, a spokesman for McConnell.

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Stewart added that because Republicans will not take up the nomination , "[McConnell] would not be holding a perfunctory meeting, but he wished Judge Garland well."

President Obama announced Garland — who is currently the chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit — as his pick to succeed Justice Antonin Scalia earlier Wednesday.

McConnell quickly took to the Senate floor to shoot down any notion that Republicans would give Garland a hearing or a vote.

Stewart added that during the call with Garland, the Republican leader "reiterated his position that the American people will have a voice in this vacancy and that the Senate will appropriately revisit the matter when it considers the qualifications of the person the next President nominates."

Top Republicans, including McConnell, have for weeks said they wouldn't consider anyone the president nominates, despite pressure from Democrats.

A handful of Senate Republicans, however, suggested Wednesday they are willing to meet with Garland or at least consider his nomination.

Democrats were quick to pounce, suggesting the comments marked early signs of division that McConnell would eventually reverse course.