Republicans accuse Democrats of disrupting Brett Kavanaugh's hearing by 'mob rule'
As Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing kicked off Tuesday, Democrats were quick to jump in and dispute whether or not the process should continue, given the number of withheld documents from the judge's time working in the White House under President George W. Bush.
The repeated protests drew some applause from the audience, but Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee were less impressed. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said that "if this were a court of law," Democrats "would be held in contempt of court" for all the interruptions. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) piped in to remark, "Oh, come on," but Cornyn continued. "I suggest we get on with the hearing," he said.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) cited an NBC News report that said Democrats had convened in a phone call over the weekend and "plotted a coordinated protest strategy" to "disrupt and protest the hearing," asking whether the Democrats present had participated in the call. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) called the comment "outrageous," and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) responded by acknowledging the phone call, arguing that it was necessary given the lack of "access to basic information about his public record."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The chaos continued as the lawmakers debated whether or not to vote on a motion to adjourn the hearing until after the committee could review recently-released documents. Cornyn took another swipe at his Democratic colleagues, saying he couldn't take their complaints "seriously" and accusing them of trying to dismantle the hearing by "mob rule." Watch the moment below, via CNN. Summer Meza
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.
-
The elite falcon trade in the Middle EastUnder the Radar Popularity of the birds of prey has been ‘soaring’ despite doubts over the legality of sourcing and concerns for animal welfare
-
A running list of the international figures Donald Trump has pardonedin depth The president has grown bolder in flexing executive clemency powers beyond national borders
-
Mixed nuts: RFK Jr.’s new nutrition guidelines receive uneven reviewsTalking Points The guidelines emphasize red meat and full-fat dairy
-
The billionaires’ wealth tax: a catastrophe for California?Talking Point Peter Thiel and Larry Page preparing to change state residency
-
Hegseth moves to demote Sen. Kelly over videospeed read Retired Navy fighter pilot Mark Kelly appeared in a video reminding military service members that they can ‘refuse illegal orders’
-
Trump says US ‘in charge’ of Venezuela after Maduro grabSpeed Read The American president claims the US will ‘run’ Venezuela for an unspecified amount of time, contradicting a statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio
-
Bari Weiss’ ‘60 Minutes’ scandal is about more than one reportIN THE SPOTLIGHT By blocking an approved segment on a controversial prison holding US deportees in El Salvador, the editor-in-chief of CBS News has become the main story
-
CBS pulls ‘60 Minutes’ report on Trump deporteesSpeed Read An investigation into the deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador’s notorious prison was scrapped
-
Trump administration posts sliver of Epstein filesSpeed Read Many of the Justice Department documents were heavily redacted, though new photos of both Donald Trump and Bill Clinton emerged
-
Trump HHS moves to end care for trans youthSpeed Read The administration is making sweeping proposals that would eliminate gender-affirming care for Americans under age 18
-
Jack Smith tells House of ‘proof’ of Trump’s crimesSpeed Read President Donald Trump ‘engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,’ hoarded classified documents and ‘repeatedly tried to obstruct justice’
