It may not get any clearer than this. Senator Pat Toomey says he would consider Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland if he had been nominated by a different president.
Should Merrick Garland be nominated again by the next president, I would be happy to carefully consider his nomination... #SCOTUS
— Senator Pat Toomey (@SenToomey) March 16, 2016
Pat Toomey could very well be defeated this year and not even have a chance to consider a nominee under the next president.
The way I see it, this is President Obama's final embarrassment of the Republican party. He knows they won't confirm a nominee and he has nominated someone that is exceedingly difficult to argue against on merit. So difficult, in fact, that Republicans will not offer a single substantive reason not to hold a hearing on his nomination or even a reason to vote against him.
Republicans in Congress evidently believe Donald Trump would make a better selection.