The first hour of Judge Brett Kavanaugh‘s confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee descended into absolute chaos — and social media likewise has melted down as a result.
“A charade and a mockery,” is how Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) referred to the explosive proceeding.
On the other side, Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) defended the hearing, and blasted Democrats for obstructing in a manner “unfair to constitutional process.”
Here’s a small sampling of reaction from observers on Twitter:
I could never have Grassley’s job. My patience for this madness from Democrats would’ve died 20 minutes ago. I’d be like you’re all nuts, I’m out and going for pancakes.
— Jedediah Bila (@JedediahBila) September 4, 2018
And Kamala Harris has ALREADY disrupted the proceedings…. Noting that they just got 42k records. Grassley is yelling over her. Klobuchar joins in.
And it is a circus
— Sam Stein (@samstein) September 4, 2018
Well we’re all of thirty seconds in and already this Kavanaugh hearing is… ?
— Hallie Jackson (@HallieJackson) September 4, 2018
Can’t remember the last time I saw committee members lead a fight like this with the ranking member as an observer, not a participant. Little bit of behind the scenes disagreement over tactics coming to the fore here.
— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) September 4, 2018
Did President Trump nominate Chuck Grassley for the Supreme Court? If not, why is he doing all the talking?
It’s time for QUESTIONS, not grandstanding by pompous senators from either party.
This hearing will be a waste. Pathetic.— Richard W. Painter (@RWPUSA) September 4, 2018
It appears from now on Democrats in both the House and the Senate are going to derail the hearing process by throwing temper tantrums
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) September 4, 2018
Hearing? More Like Yelling
— Alex Fitzpatrick (@AlexJamesFitz) September 4, 2018
Senators Leahy, Durbin, Whitehouse, Klobuchar, Coons, Blumenthal, Hirono, Booker, and Harris, led by Feinstein.
They’re passing the ball like the Golden State Warriors. Seamlessly. No pause. One voice.
Heroes all.
Grassley’s voice is cracking. He’s snapping AT HIS OWN MEMBERS.
— Philippe Reines (@PhilippeReines) September 4, 2018
I’ve covered five other Supreme Court confirmation hearings. None of them included anything like the chaos in the opening minutes of the Kavanaugh hearings this morning.
— Adam Liptak (@adamliptak) September 4, 2018
It always was going to be a circus. The Republican Party doesn’t give a damn about the country. It always about their power. Bob Dole, GHWB and other old timers must be disgusted. https://t.co/YLET0453C1
— Howard Dean (@GovHowardDean) September 4, 2018
Grassley invoking ‘norms’ now after Republicans and Trump have shattered norms for corrupt political expediency. What a sham process this Kavanaugh Circus is.
— Jeffrey Wright (@jfreewright) September 4, 2018
This whole process is a joke. All the Democrats demanding to review all these Kavanaugh documents are the very same Democrats who announced months ago they were going to oppose Kavanaugh no matter what.
So why do they need to review anything?
— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) September 4, 2018
It’s embarrassing to watch Chuck Grassley ‘chair’ these proceedings in the Senate. Can you imagine trying to explain it to little kids? Their tone and language and immaturity? ‘These grown-ups are your government!’ Sigh. #KavanaughConfirmation
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) September 4, 2018
It’s pretty clear which Democrats are running for president in 2020.
It’s embarrassing that they’re willing to turn this important hearing into a political spectacle.
— Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) September 4, 2018
Charles Grassley has become an embarrassing apparatchik. Sad. Actually, tragic.
— Norman Ornstein (@NormOrnstein) September 4, 2018
.@JohnCornyn going on about following “norms” and being “fair” is a freckin’ joke. Why? Merrick Garland. Merrick Garland. Merrick Garland.
— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) September 4, 2018
Grassley is just winging it. And he doesn’t know what he’s doing. He just tossed congressional oversight overboard.
— Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) September 4, 2018
[featured image via screengrab]
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