WATCH: Kavanaugh Dodges Cory Booker’s Questions About Respecting Trump

As Judge Brett Kavanaugh faced tough questions on the third day of his confirmation hearing, the Supreme Court pick was grilled by Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) over whether he was loyal to President Donald Trump.

Booker had a hard time getting an answer, but not for a lack of trying.

The senator began by outlining Trump’s history of racism, xenophobia and his bragging about sexual assault on the infamous Access Hollywood recording that emerged before his election. Booker then wondered whether that had any impact on how Kavanaugh perceived the commander in chief.

“Do you have the greatest respect for Donald Trump?” Booker asked.

“You don’t hear sitting judges commenting on political [issues],” Kavanaugh responded.

Booker then repeated his question: “Do you have the greatest respect for Donald Trump?”

“I appreciate the question,” Kavanaugh said, adding that he needed “to stay away” from commenting.

“You’re not answering my question,” Booker replied. “I want to tell you why I’m building toward this. Because there’s an issue of this president who’s asking for loyalty tests from the people he’s putting forward for offices. Now, you heard how he’s continuing to bash the attorney general of the United States of America and saying that if he knew he was going to recuse himself, that he wouldn’t have put him forward.”

Continuing, Booker noted that Kavanaugh wasn’t willing to remark on Trump’s character, again calling out the president’s weak response to violence at a 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, VA after which he was slow to condemn neo-Nazis.

“You’re not willing to say if you have great respect for this president,” Booker said. “I’m just wondering what kind of loyalty is being required of you for this job.”

Watch the clip above via CNN.

[Image via screengrab]

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