Psaki Dismisses GOP Absences From Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson Floor Vote with Crack About Rand Paul’s Pants

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki responded to a question about Republican senators who were absent from the Senate floor during the Ketanji Brown Jackson Supreme Court confirmation vote with a dismissive crack about Sen. Rand Paul’s pants.

Republicans have taken some criticism for their conduct following the vote to confirm Justice-designate Ketanji Brown Jackson, as every one of them save Utah Senator Mitt Romney filed out of the room before the applause for the historic milestone had even crested.

And in a move that has been widely interpreted by critics as disrespectful, a handful of Republicans — including Paul and Sen. Lindsey Graham — cast their votes from the Senate Cloakroom rather than don the required attire for the floor:

Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), and Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) reportedly voted from the Republican cloakroom rather than the Senate floor, while Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) remained noticeably absent. Once Paul surfaced after roughly 15 minutes, he cast his vote from the cloakroom, as well.

So why were none of these lawmakers in the room with their colleagues? Apparently, it had something to do with the Senate dress code.

Neither Graham nor Paul was wearing attire proper enough for the chamber (i.e. a tie), so they were both unable to enter. According to New Republic’s Grace Segers, Graham was wearing a blue polo and a blazer when he poked his head in from the cloakroom door to give his “thumbs down” vote. When Paul eventually did the same, Segers says the senator was wearing a green windbreaker.

At Thursday’s press briefing, Daily Mail Senior U.S. political reporter Rob Crilly asked Ms. Psaki about the slight. Psaki’s response was brief and dismissive:

MR. CRILLY: Yeah. The congressional approval from the confirmation vote today tells us that Senator Rand Paul cast his vote from the GOP cloakroom. He was in casual clothes, without a suit jacket or tie, so he was unable to come onto the floor. There are reports, I think, two other Republican senators may have done similar. Is that an appropriate way to vote on a historic occasion like this?

MS. PSAKI: I will tell you, I’m not spending a lot of time, nor is the President, thinking about the dress code of Rand Paul today. We’re thinking about the historic confirmation of an eminently qualified Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court. Not really worried about his khakis.

Watch above via The White House and NBC News.