Dozens of protesters gathered outside U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham’s home in Washington, D.C., as the GOP-led Senate plans to hold immediate confirmation hearings on President Donald Trump’s new Supreme Court nominee.
The protesters met early Monday, according to WJLA, to object to Graham’s weekend announcement that he is in favor of holding hearings on Trump’s nominee before the November election.
Graham is chairman of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee. Trump has promised to put forward a female nominee for the Supreme Court seat this week, starting the process for Graham in the Senate.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death has brought renewed attention to the nation’s highest court and has given the president and Republicans another chance to cement a conservative imprint on the court regardless of his reelection.
Ginsburg, who was the second female Supreme Court justice after Sandra Day O’Connor, died Friday at her home in Washington at age 87 of complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Friday night Trump’s nominee would receive a Senate floor vote.
Part of Graham’s justification for pressing ahead is Democrats' changing of the Senate rules to confirm more appeals court judges during President Barack Obama’s tenure. But what looms largest is the confirmation battle for the last Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh. Graham says Democrats “conspired to destroy” Kavanaugh.
Kavanaugh, who denied allegations of sexual assault that were raised against him, was narrowly confirmed in 2018 after a blistering, partisan fight. Graham played a pivotal role, delivering a fiery confirmation hearing defense of Kavanaugh that went viral. “What you want to do is destroy this guy’s life, hold this seat open and hope you win in 2020,” Graham said, his voice shaking.
That moment drew praise from Trump, plaudits from conservatives and scorn from liberals now donating in droves to stop his reelection bid.
“It was just a complete low point in my career in the Senate, and I spoke up,” Graham said, describing Democrats' scorn. “As I speak about it right now, the more I think about it, the more pissed I get,” he said this month during an event with Federalist Society members in South Carolina.
Graham is also facing a reelection battle in South Carolina. Democrat Jaime Harrison is running close to Graham, according to one recent poll, and is matching the three-term incumbent in fundraising that has yielded a total of more than $30 million apiece.
