We Will Not Be Taking Any Questions on Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Demeanor

Let's return to the cursed time of 2018 at the Senate Judiciary Committee.

By Caitlin Cruz  |  March 21, 2022 | 5:55pm
JusticePolitics
Photo: (L) Andrew Harnik / (R) Saul Leob (Getty Images)

Monday marked the beginning of the confirmation hearing of Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Biden’s first nomination to the Supreme Court. She would be the first Black woman confirmed to the nation’s highest court.

The process begins with every member of the Senate Judiciary Committee giving opening statements, and every Republican has brought up the circus and hullabaloo surrounding Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings about three and a half years ago. Sens. Chuck Grassley and Lindsey Graham want to conflate the hearings of accused sexual assaulter Kavanaugh with the very normal and drama-free Jackson.

The processes are not the same. Jackson has not been accused of sexual assault as a teenager or young adult, like Kavanaugh, nor has she been accused of sexual misconduct during any other part of her life. The reason her hearings are (thus far) boring is because she has been twice as good as her white legal colleagues.

Let’s return back to 2018 to see just how emotional Kavanaugh was and how he made the hearings a circus all on his own.

Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing started on Sept. 4, 2018.

Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing started on Sept. 4, 2018.
Photo: Saul Loeb / AFP (Getty Images)

He was all smiles, but it wouldn’t last.

The hearings would continue for days...

The hearings would continue for days...
Photo: Chip Somodevilla (Getty Images)

...with so many heated facial expressions from Kavanaugh.

And tattered documents to show how much he cares about The Law.

And tattered documents to show how much he cares about The Law.
Photo: Saul Loeb (Getty Images)

Kavanaugh’s facial expressions continued unabated.

After four days, testimony ended.

After four days, testimony ended.
Photo: Saul Loeb (Getty Images)

But Kavanaugh would return to the witness chair before the month was out.

But Kavanaugh would return to the witness chair before the month was out.
Photo: Win McNamee (Getty Images)

On Sep. 16, 2018, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford went public with her sexual assault accusation against Kavanaugh. She had earlier written a private letter to Democratic lawmakers, but decided to publicly tell her story after four days of testimony failed to acknowledge it. Kavanaugh publicly denied her story: “This is a completely false allegation. I have never done anything like what the accuser describes — to her or to anyone. Because this never happened, I had no idea who was making this accusation until she identified herself yesterday. I am willing to talk to the Senate Judiciary Committee in any way the Committee deems appropriate to refute this false allegation, from 36 years ago, and defend my integrity.”

He gave a nearly 45-minute rebuttal.

Another woman would publicly accuse Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct

Another woman would publicly accuse Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct
Photo: Saul Loeb (Getty Images)

Deborah Ramirez shared her experience while the pair were students at Yale.

Here’s Brett on Sept. 27

Here’s Brett on Sept. 27
Photo: JIM BOURG (Getty Images)

Dr. Christine Blasey Ford testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Sept. 27, 2018. Read her full opening statement here.

And why was Kavanaugh so angry? Dr. Christine Blasey Ford.

I’ll leave you with this exchange between Ford and Sen. Patrick Leahy. What’s the part that you remember most, Leahy asked.

“Indelible in the hippocampus is the laughter. The uproarious laughter between the two,” she replied. Her voice starts to crack. “They’re having fun at my expense.”

“You’ve never forgotten them laughing at you,” Leahy said.

“They were laughing with each other,” Ford corrected him.

“And you were the object of the laughter?”

Ford said: “I was underneath one of them, while the two laughed.”

 
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