Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA), a generally reliable Republican foot soldier, grilled a Trump judicial nominee Wednesday about his bigoted preachings. 

President Trump nominated Justin Olson, currently in private practice, to be a U.S. district judge for the Southern District of Indiana. He has been active in anti-trans litigation, leading a case to have trans women athletes stripped of their NCAA awards. 

“During that sermon you said that marriage was not intended for all people, including, and I’m gonna quote your words, ‘our handicapped friends or our persons with physical disabilities that might prevent the robust marriage that we’re called to.’ Did you say that?” Kennedy asked during the Senate Judiciary hearing. 

After Olson confirmed that he did, Kennedy asked whether he believes that “folks with handicaps and physical disabilities should not be able to marry?”

“No, senator — I was explaining the meaning of Christ’s words that some, to use Christ’s terms, are eunuchs by birth, and explaining that the meaning of that verse in the context of those who are called to singleness and that there are various reasons why individuals don’t get married…” Olson replied, before Kennedy cut across him: “Yeah, but what about folks who are handicapped or who have developmental disabilities?”

Olson insisted that he was using an “illustration” of why some might choose not to marry, not that they “couldn’t or shouldn’t.” 

Kennedy pressed on, pulling quotes from Olson’s other public remarks. He quoted a 2022 sermon in which Olson said “‘transgenderism, homosexuality, fornication, and all sorts of sexual perversions’ was a form of hypocrisy from ‘shame on the inside.’”

“My personal views, my religious views, what I was speaking at that time was for the edification of the people that I was preaching to — as a judge sitting here today my obligation is to apply the rule of law,” Olson said.

“I understand that but my obligation is to try to understand you, because this is a lifetime appointment,” Kennedy retorted. 

The senator then moved to Olson’s comments about women, that God “has called wives to be subject to their husband” and to “serve the good of your husband and support his calling.”   

“You believe Christian marriage provides that women have to be subservient to their husbands?” Kennedy asked.

“Those are not my words,” Olson responded, saying he was quoting the Bible.

“You said them, do you believe them?” Kennedy asked.

“Senator, I believe every word of the Bible,” Olson said. 

Kennedy’s office did not immediately respond to TPM’s questions about whether the senator will support Olson’s confirmation.