UNITED STATES NEWS
Senators clash in tense moment during Kavanaugh hearing
Two senators exchanged tense words as Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday.
During questioning by Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the Democratic senator asked Kavanaugh to ask White House counsel Don McGahn to suspend his confirmation hearings in order to conduct an FBI investigation into the allegations of sexual misconduct made against the judge.
In a tense exchange, Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the committee, interrupted, saying “we are not suspending this hearing.”
But Kavanaugh shot back, saying he wants the committee to decide.
A combative moment as Sen. Durbin calls on Brett Kavanaugh to immediately ask Don McGahn "to suspend this hearing" until completion of an FBI investigation.
Chairman Grassley angrily responded, "This Committee is running this hearing…We're not suspending this hearing." pic.twitter.com/odMFTstY68
— ABC News (@ABC) September 27, 2018
“I will do whatever the committee wants,” he said. Kavanaugh refused to answer whether he thought that was the best thing but continued to profess his innocence.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) interrupted the questioning, telling Durbin, “If you wanted an FBI investigation, you could’ve come to us.” He called the move an “unethical sham.”
“I hope the American people can see through this sham,” Graham said. “You knew (about this allegation) and you held onto it. … This is not a job interview, this is hell. This is going to destroy the ability for people to come forward because of this crap.”
"This is the most unethical sham since I've been in politics," a heated Sen. Lindsey Graham says. https://t.co/GGrl0K12EF #KavanaughHearings pic.twitter.com/svJXrGcaPS
— ABC News (@ABC) September 27, 2018