Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told Fox News on Tuesday that Democratic hopefuls for 2020 feel the need to be "the most insane person" when commenting on President Donald Trump's federal court nominations.
"It seems to be that if you are running for president on the Democratic side in 2020 or thinking about it, you have to prove you are the most insane person when it comes to Trump nominees," Graham said in the interview with Fox host Martha MacCallum.
The senator added that "President Trump could nominate George Washington and they would all be up in arms."
Graham was referring to the Democratic opposition to Trump's announcement on Monday night that Brett Kavanaugh was his top pick to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy. Kavanaugh, a 53-year-old federal appeals court judge, has been revered in several conservative circles for his perceived loyalty to the text of the Constitution.
But as soon as Trump announced his pick, several Democratic leaders denounced the judge and vowed to block his confirmation or at least hold off on Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing until after the 2018 midterm elections.
In a press conference, Democratic senators took aim at Kavanaugh and criticized his rulings on hot-button issues like reproductive rights. At the event, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said that he would fight the nomination "with everything I've got."
Senator Kamala Harris added: "Listen, if you are a young woman in America or you care about young woman in America, pay close attention to this nomination. Let's be clear about what this is about, it's about government taking on the decision about a woman and what she does with her body."
Senator Richard Blumenthal went a step further: "Judge Kavanaugh, you don't belong in this building as a justice," he said.
The Women's March organization was criticized for a pre-written statement on Kavanaugh that read "In response to Donald Trump's nomination of XX to the Supreme Court of the United States," implying that the group stood ready to oppose whomever the nominee was.
"Pretty incredible, just blanket disapproval before they even knew who it was," Fox News host Martha MacCallum said in response to the statement.
Graham released his statement on Kavanaugh in a Twitter post on Monday, saying that it was "a great night for the American people."
"We know what we are getting with judge Kavanaugh," Graham tweeted. "A solid conservative who interprets the law, who won't make the law."
Graham has said he believes that Kavanaugh will be confirmed with bipartisan support.
Brett #Kavanaugh will be an outstanding Justice on the Supreme Court. I also want to congratulate President @realDonaldTrump on this great choice.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) July 10, 2018
What a great night for the American people! pic.twitter.com/QTcUCTJMGn
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Alexandra Hutzler is currently a staff writer on Newsweek's politics team. Prior to joining Newsweek in summer 2018, she was ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
