Judge Brett Kavanaugh had to explain what he meant, the night his Supreme Court nomination was announced, when he said he had “witnessed firsthand” President Trump’s “appreciation for the vital role of the American judiciary.”
Kavanaugh told Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) that he witnessed this “appreciation” during his interview with Trump during the selection process, his discussions with Trump and his wife when he returned to the White House before the announcement, and also the interactions with Trump that night.
“We usually instruct juries not to put their life experience and common sense aside when they make a verdict. I think the verdict on this president’s and his vital role in the judiciary would include more than those meetings,” Durbin responded.
Earlier in his confirmation hearings, Kavanaugh was questioned repeatedly on his claim that night that “No president has ever consulted more widely, or talked with more people from more backgrounds, to seek input about a Supreme Court nomination.”
He said he had come to that conclusion, in part, on the basis of the lack of technology during presidencies predating recent administrations.
Kavanaugh, however, during grilling by Democratic senators, refused to weigh in on the President’s bashing of the judiciary, including Trump’s smears of a federal judge for his Hispanic heritage.
