'QUELLE SURPRISE'
‘Performative Vitriol’: Graham Decimated for ‘Reprehensible Smear’ and Attacks on KBJ Before Storming Out (Video)

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is under fire after turning the Senate Judiciary Committee’s confirmation hearing of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson into a “circus,” as some are noting. The Republican from South Carolina has used the hearing all week to attack one of the most qualified judges to ever be nominated to the nation’s highest court, and to try to get revenge on Democrats for what he considers past wrongs.
Among those supposed wrongs, the treatment of Brett Kavanaugh, who was confirmed to the Supreme Court despite credible accusations of sexual assault or misconduct by at least three women.
“Senator, I’m not sure, I don’t understand the context of the question” — Judge Jackson to Lindsey Graham as he tries to craft another clip for Hannity by whining about Kavanaugh
“Senator, she’s had nothing to do with the Kavanaugh hearing,” Durbin interjects pic.twitter.com/BFeeNJHWFe
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 23, 2022
Judd Legum, founder of Popular Information and earlier, ThinkProgress, slammed Graham in a tweet pointing to the video below:
“Lindsey Graham, in an absolutely reprehensible smear, says that Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson doesn’t believe distributing child pornography on the internet is a ‘bad thing.’ This is the state of the modern GOP.”
“Please, let her complete her answer!”
WATCH: Senators @DickDurbin and @LindseyGrahamSC get into a fiery exchange as the latter repeatedly interrupted Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s answer on child porn sentencing. pic.twitter.com/7DWqjSDyTM
— Mediaite (@Mediaite) March 23, 2022
After that exchange, Graham stormed out.
On Monday, Lindsey Graham vowed Jackson’s hearing wouldn’t be a circus. Each of the next two days he had ugly meltdowns and left in a huff. https://t.co/6MXlYhh55R https://t.co/BcE4jbcF1Q
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 23, 2022
Yes, Yes he did.
Here’s Lindsey Graham ONCE AGAIN storming out of the room, this time after Dick Durbin calls him “reprehensible” over his browbeating Q&A session with Ketanji Brown Jackson. https://t.co/KqYvncbpRC pic.twitter.com/tn26lRLRm1
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) March 23, 2022
Vox’s Ian Millhiser, a legal expert who has written books on the Supreme Court, comments on Graham’s anger that Democrats blocked several Black conservatives from ascending to the Supreme Court.
“Lindsey Graham is once against suggesting that Democrats are racist because they opposed the nomination of Janice Rogers Brown, who is Black,” Millhiser says. “Democrats opposed Brown because she called the New Deal ‘our socialist revolution’ and because she believes Lochner [v. New York] was correct.”
Here’s another astonishing exchange:
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Judge Jackson get into a contentious back-and-forth over her response to punishing child porn offenders.
An indignant Graham repeatedly cuts Jackson off when she tries to correct him about what she is saying. pic.twitter.com/J4zFnjJ4vL
— The Recount (@therecount) March 23, 2022
And still another:
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who went 10+ minutes over his allotted time, continues to interrupt Judge Jackson and absurdly asks her how it would feel to be “ambushed” like Justice Kavanaugh, which obviously has no bearing on her own hearing. pic.twitter.com/hhu8xFQbBZ
— The Recount (@therecount) March 23, 2022
MSNBC’s Joy Reid blasted Graham:
.@LindseyGrahamSC is an embarrassment to the United States Senate. His performative vitriol and hostility to Judge Jackson whom he has repeatedly voted to elevate to the federal bench; and who he’s now treating like a Black shopper he’s following around the store, is repugnant.
— Joy-Ann (Pro-Democracy) Reid 😷 (@JoyAnnReid) March 23, 2022
More responses to Graham’s attacks:
The way Lindsey Graham is hectoring Judge Jackson, interrupting her answers and throwing around anti-Semitic slime is just beyond disgraceful and despicable.
— Norman Ornstein (@NormOrnstein) March 23, 2022
“Can I explain why, sir?” Jackson tells Graham after he cuts her off repeatedly in tense exchange on sex offender sentencing
— Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) March 23, 2022
Sen Graham’s inability to let Judge Jackson answer is really disturbing. If he wants to make a speech, he’s got plenty of venues for doing that. But this is a confirmation hearing & she’s supposed to get to answer his questions w/out mansplaining. We get he’s not voting for her.
— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) March 23, 2022
Oh, @LindseyGrahamSC, who walked out in coordinated huff after screaming for prisoners to die in prison without due process, decided to come back when it was his turn to be in front of the cameras again.
Quelle surprise
— Elie Mystal (@ElieNYC) March 23, 2022

Enjoy this piece?
… then let us make a small request. The New Civil Rights Movement depends on readers like you to meet our ongoing expenses and continue producing quality progressive journalism. Three Silicon Valley giants consume 70 percent of all online advertising dollars, so we need your help to continue doing what we do.
NCRM is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. From unflinching coverage of religious extremism, to spotlighting efforts to roll back our rights, NCRM continues to speak truth to power. America needs independent voices like NCRM to be sure no one is forgotten.
Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Help ensure NCRM remains independent long into the future. Support progressive journalism with a one-time contribution to NCRM, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you. Click here to donate by check.
![]() |