Minutes into Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation hearing, Democrats and protesters sought to derail the proceedings with interruptions and dissent.
As Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley attempted to make his opening remarks Tuesday, top Democrats fired off objections and screaming protesters had to be removed.
“We cannot possibly move forward,” Democratic California Sen. Kamala Harris interrupted the Iowa Republican’s remarks, raising objections to receiving over 40,000 documents relating to Kavanaugh’s work on the eve of the hearings.
Grassley informed the potential 2020 presidential contender that she was “out of order.”
Her Democratic colleagues, however, came to her defense and backed up her complaints and sparked applause from some in the audience as they appeared to be on a united, premeditated mission.
Democrats plotted coordinated protest strategy over the holiday weekend and all agreed to disrupt and protest the hearing, sources tell me and @frankthorp
Dem leader @chuckschumer led a phone call and committee members are executing now
— Kasie Hunt (@kasie) September 4, 2018
Connecticut Democrat Sen. Richard Blumenthal moved to adjourn and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker complaining of the “rush” to forge ahead with the hearings.
.@SenBlumenthal: “Mr. Chairman if we cannot be recognized then I move to adjourn.” https://t.co/qAsaE0C69V pic.twitter.com/G1MckDbACx
— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 4, 2018
.@CoryBooker: “What is the rush? What are we trying to hide by not having the documents out front?”
Democrats push for a delay in confirmation hearing over Kavanaugh documents. https://t.co/0Fgfd7QhTO pic.twitter.com/VT7XaKijca
— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 4, 2018
“I think you are taking advantage of my decency and my integrity,” Grassley fired back as the hearing quickly descended into a bit of a circus.
He informed those in the room that he would “proceed accordingly,” though there would be “plenty of opportunities” to respond to complaints from the Democrats.
“We have said for a long period of time that we were going to proceed on this very day and I think we ought to give the American people the opportunity to hear whether judge Kavanaugh should be on the Supreme Court or not,” Grassley said.
Sen. John Cornyn rebuked all who were “on that side” of the dais, condemning Democrats’ antics as “mob rule.”
“I would suggest that if this were a court of law, that virtually every member of the dais on that side would be held in contempt of court,” the Texas Republican said.
“This whole process is supposed to be a civil one where people get to ask questions and we get to get answers,” he added. “I would just suggest that we get on with the hearing.”
Even outside of the hearing room, protests were being staged.
NOW: Waiting outside Kavanaugh hearing room. A silent but rather clear protest. (Re: abortion.) pic.twitter.com/VHku1dDEkS
— Lisa Desjardins (@LisaDNews) September 4, 2018
Kavanaugh, who served for five years in the George W. Bush administration as a lawyer in the White House Counsel’s office and then for more than a decade on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, was then invited to introduce his family by Grassley who said he expected the judge “will become the next Associate Justice on the Supreme Court.”
.@ChuckGrassley: “I expect Judge Kavanaugh will become the next Associate Justice on the Supreme Court.” pic.twitter.com/4Xao7R9Ijm
— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 4, 2018
Judge Brett Kavanaugh: “I’m honored to be here today with my family.” pic.twitter.com/O7QmDwrzry
— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 4, 2018
“I’m very honored to be here, honored to have my family here,” Kavanaugh began as Democrats raised their protests again.
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