Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican who represents South Carolina, was criticized after he claimed Democrats "destroyed" Brett Kavanaugh's life during his Supreme Court confirmation hearings.
Graham made the remark during the final day of confirmation hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Joe Biden's SCOTUS nominee to replace outgoing Associate Justice Stephen Breyer.
Noting Jackson's confirmation hearings are "coming to an end," Graham suggested he is still angry Democrats grilled Kavanaugh about his sexual misconduct.
You can hear Graham's remarks in the video below.
Sen. Lindsey Graham complained about the treatment of Justice Brett Kavanaugh again and the 'coordinated effort of Democrats and mainstream media, trying to destroy somebody to keep the seat open'pic.twitter.com/9waNxmYAwI— NowThis (@NowThis) 1649083768
He said:
"If you compare this to Kavanaugh, you've missed a lot. I've never complained about Kavanaugh or anybody else being asked a hard question."
"I have complained about their lives being destroyed by a coordinated effort of Democrats and the mainstream media of trying to destroy somebody to keep a seat open."
"That didn't happen! I found her completely evasive."
Republicans have long alleged Kavanaugh had his confirmation hearing nearly derailed by numerous sexual assault allegations they deemed not worth investigating.
Kavanaugh has denied ever sexually assaulting Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, the Palo Alto University professor who identified herself as the author of a then-anonymous letter alleging that he had assaulted her while at a high school party. Multiple women came forward with their own accounts after Dr. Ford's allegations emerged.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) received considerable pushback in the weeks after the allegations became public in light of the limits placed upon the investigation and the knowledge that the bureau declined to interview the witnesses suggested by the attorneys for Kavanaugh's accusers. Its investigators did not interview Dr. Ford, deeming her Senate testimony sufficient.
Kavanaugh was ultimately confirmed in a 50-48 vote.
Graham's statements received an immediate rebuke from critics who pointed out that Democrats didn't "destroy" much of anything precisely because Kavanaugh was confirmed.
Lindsey Graham is whining that Kavanaugh\u2019s life was destroyed, but BK is on the Supreme Court.\n\nYou know whose life was actually destroyed? Christine Blasey Ford.\n\nBy the same people weaponizing sexual crimes against a Black woman nom.\n\nhttps://www.politicususa.com/2022/04/04/they-are-not-the-same-judge-jackson-is-treated-much-worse-than-brett-kavanaugh.html\u00a0\u2026 via @politicususa— Sarah Reese Jones (@Sarah Reese Jones) 1649106809
Lindsey Graham during the KBJ hearing: Look at how Democrats have politicized the Supreme Court confirmation process! Brett Kavanaugh! Miguel Estrada! Janice Rogers Brown!\n\nAlso Lindsey Graham: We won't allow the president to fill judicial vacancies if we regain the majority.https://twitter.com/ZackFord/status/1510991835258363909\u00a0\u2026— Miranda Yaver, PhD (@Miranda Yaver, PhD) 1649083638
So, @LindseyGrahamSC says Brett Kavanaugh's life has been "destroyed" despite a lifetime seat on the Supreme Court.\n\nFor the record, Democrats questioned him about rape because Dr. Christine Blasey Ford accused him. They believed she was credible & had sympathy. Graham doesn't.— Robert Elisberg (@Robert Elisberg) 1649087216
Graham should know if we had senate majority, and Hillary Clinton was in the White House, Democrats never would have picked slimy pervert Kavanaugh; the man you were so defending with bulging eyes, red face and frothing mouth, your spit flying all over.https://twitter.com/marianne_levine/status/1510991536712040448\u00a0\u2026— ABerman333 (@ABerman333) 1649109609
Lindsey Graham claims Brett Kavanaugh's life was 'destroyed' by Democrats despite lifetime job https://www.rawstory.com/lindsey-graham-brett-kavanaugh-destroyed/\u00a0\u2026 \n\nLindsey Graham is a lying hypocrite with an emotional & intellectual age of a 4-year-old, not unlike Kavanaugh. Neither should hold the positions they have.— OBTW (@OBTW) 1649098603
When you rape a person you ruin their lives.\nYou can't whine about it if it's true. The FBI got 4500 tips on their Kavanaugh tip line, they acted one NONE!\nBut,\nLindsey Graham claims Brett Kavanaugh's life was 'destroyed' by Democrats'\n#Freshhttps://www.rawstory.com/lindsey-graham-brett-kavanaugh-destroyed/\u00a0\u2026— Nic #VetsResist\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 #UniteBlue (@Nic #VetsResist\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 #UniteBlue) 1649099717
Poor Brett Kavanaugh. He has to suffer through with his lifetime tenure.https://www.rawstory.com/lindsey-graham-brett-kavanaugh-destroyed/\u00a0\u2026— Tea Pain (@Tea Pain) 1649085711
HE RAPED SOMEONEhttps://twitter.com/nowthisnews/status/1510992958425907204\u00a0\u2026— Jack Harlow stan (@Jack Harlow stan) 1649085462
Why is he laying all this poison on the Black woman who had NOTHING whatsoever to do with the story he\u2019s telling? Scolds her, talks down to her, dismisses her. https://twitter.com/nowthisnews/status/1510992958425907204\u00a0\u2026— Thee Larkin Warren (@Thee Larkin Warren) 1649099478
Last week, Graham said he would not vote to confirm Jackson to the Supreme Court, citing her "record of judicial activism" as well as her "flawed sentencing methodology regarding child pornography cases and a belief Judge Jackson will not be deterred by the plain meaning of the law when it comes to liberal causes."
Last month, The View moderator Whoopi Goldberg criticized Graham over his bejavior during confirmation hearings, saying he "should be ashamed" of his often testy exchanges with Jackson, particularly over her sentencing record in child pornography cases, especially since he'd previously voted to confirm her to serve on one of the country's lower courts.
Graham has also generated unsavory headlines in recent days for interrupting Jackson several times as she attempted to respond to his questions, which also required her to speak at length about how she engages with her faith on a daily basis.
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