Supreme Court justices were once viewed in high regard by the public, but now they're seen as partisans, Republican pollster Brett Loyd said in an interview that aired Thursday on "What America's Thinking."

"Those justices were looked at by their merit," Loyd, the president and CEO of the Polling Company, told Hill.TV's Joe Concha, referring to justices from the 1980s and 1990s. "They weren't looked at as a partisan chip."

"Now it's looked at as this partisan chip of the president is Republican and he puts together a Republican justice to be confirmed," he said. "They're not looking at 'What's the merit of this justice?'"

President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE ran on a campaign that included the promise of appointing conservative Supreme Court justices.

The issue came to a head this year with Justice Brett Kavanaugh Brett Michael KavanaughOvernight Health Care: US coronavirus deaths hit 200,000 | Ginsburg's death puts future of ObamaCare at risk | Federal panel delays vote on initial COVID-19 vaccine distribution Senate GOP sees early Supreme Court vote as political booster shot Trump says he'll make Supreme Court pick on Saturday MORE's confirmation hearings, when several women accused him of sexual misconduct. He denied all the allegations.

"We've seen more and more contentious votes, and Brett Kavanaugh being the most contentious vote in the Senate for any justice in American history," Loyd said.

— Julia Manchester