President Trump’s criticism of his Justice Department brought Democrats and Republicans together during Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing Tuesday.
Both Sens. Jeff Flake, Arizona Republican, and Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut Democrat, said they’ll both ask the Supreme Court nominee a number of questions about the separation of powers in light of Mr. Trump’s tweet Sunday against his own Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Mr. Flake, a frequent critic of the president, said Mr. Trump’s rhetoric concerns him. Mr. Blumenthal said he has had disagreements with the Trump administration’s Justice Department, but urges it to “stand strong and hold fast” against the president.
“I want to join my colleague … in his hope that you Judge Kavanaugh would condemn this attack on the rule of law and the judiciary,” Mr. Blumenthal told the president’s nominee for the high court Tuesday.
The president lambasting his attorney general for prosecuting two Republican lawmakers.
“Two long running, Obama era, investigations of two very popular Republican Congressmen were brought to a well publicized charge, just ahead of the Mid-Terms, by the Jeff Sessions Justice Department. Two easy wins now in doubt because there is not enough time. Good job Jeff,” Mr. Trump tweeted Sunday.
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“The Democrats, none of whom voted for Jeff Sessions, must love him now. Same thing with Lyin’ James Comey. The Dems all hated him, wanted him out, thought he was disgusting - UNTIL I FIRED HIM! Immediately he became a wonderful man, a saint like figure in fact. Really sick!” he added on Twitter.
The hearing had been contentious between the Republican majority and the Democrats on the Judiciary Committee, who interrupted the hearing more than 40 times during the first hour and demanding it be adjourned.
The Democrats said the GOP hasn’t requested enough of Judge Kavanaugh’s records from his time working for President George W. Bush’s White House.
Republicans, meanwhile, say they have more documents from Judge Kavanaugh’s record than they received for any Supreme Court nominee in the past.
They say the focus should be on his more than 300 legal opinions he’s drafted while sitting on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals for 12 years.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.
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