Would Democrats try to impeach Justice Kavanaugh?

(Image credit: Jose Luis Magana/AFP/Getty Images)

published 28 September 2018

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh faces his first vote Friday morning and can't be seated on the Supreme Court before Tuesday, but after Thursday's contentious hearings on one of the sexual assault allegations against him, there are already whispers of future impeachment hearings. "In a foreshadowing of how much uglier U.S. politics could get, top Democratic operatives are already talking about impeachment of Brett Kavanaugh as a 2020 campaign issue if he gets confirmed to the Supreme Court," says Axios' Mike Allen.

Allen doesn't quote any of these operatives by name, but Brian Fallon, spokesman for Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign and head of anti-Kavanaugh group Demand Justice, did tweet Thursday night that if Republicans push through the confirmation, "Kavanaugh will not serve for life." A top Republican tells Allen that President Trump will likely start taking up his own impeachment to drum up support before the midterms. "Impeachment of Trump and Kav will be an animating issue on both sides," said a "veteran Republican close to Senate leaders and the White House." Take that as you see fit.

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If Kavanaugh is confirmed, Democrats could be expected to question the legitimacy of his swing Supreme Court vote. Congress degraded itself yesterday. And the Trump White House of course has serious credibility issues. So the United States of America will be three-for-three in diminished trust in its branches of government. [Axios]

You can read more at Axios and Vox.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.