On Monday night, President Donald Trump announced his pick to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, Circuit Court Judge Brett Kavanaugh. Prior to the announcement, issues with Kavanaugh had been raised based on his judicial record and an article he wrote in 2009.
After the announcement by Trump, several prominent Democratic senators, many of whom appear to be looking toward the 2020 presidential race, came out strongly against Kavanaugh. Among them are New Jersey Senator Cory Booker who stated on Twitter:
The nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court is alarming & I’m strongly opposed to his confirmation."
In a thread of 17 tweets, Booker outlined the issues with Kavanaugh becoming a member of SCOTUS.
Right off the bat, this nomination couldn’t get any swampier—Kavanaugh is a partisan Republican, who worked for Ken… https://t.co/dwH8wEGBdz— Sen. Cory Booker (@Sen. Cory Booker) 1531186592.0
If Kavanaugh is confirmed, we could see progress rolled back on many issues including the right of women to make th… https://t.co/X5LRJcR68V— Sen. Cory Booker (@Sen. Cory Booker) 1531186593.0
Booker also called on citizens to contact their own elected representatives in the Senate.
There are many reasons why this #SCOTUS nominee shouldn't move forward—now we need to fight & make our voices heard… https://t.co/1vrQ47FuNC— Sen. Cory Booker (@Sen. Cory Booker) 1531186596.0
Equally vocal is New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand who stated:
President Trump just announced Brett Kavanaugh as his nominee to the Supreme Court. One thing’s already clear from his record: He can’t be trusted to safeguard rights for women, workers or to end the flow of corporate money to campaigns."
President Trump just announced Brett Kavanaugh as his nominee to the Supreme Court. One thing’s already clear from… https://t.co/WWMLPC9rb0— Kirsten Gillibrand (@Kirsten Gillibrand) 1531185748.0
In her own Twitter thread, Gillibrand also called on citizens to let their senators know how they feel about Kavanaugh.
Tell your senators to hold the line. Tell them to refuse to hold a hearing. Tell them not to confirm anyone until a… https://t.co/IPXf7MAWIT— Kirsten Gillibrand (@Kirsten Gillibrand) 1531185749.0
Since the nomination, one of the most vocal opponents has been Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley.
On both his personal and Senate Twitter accounts, Merkley came out in strong opposition against Kavanaugh.
.@realDonaldTrump is terrified of Robert Mueller. It’s no wonder he chose Kavanaugh as his #SCOTUSPick. He’s someon… https://t.co/zoxaJFzQkF— Senator Jeff Merkley (@Senator Jeff Merkley) 1531188524.0
.@realDonaldTrump has picked as his #SCOTUSPick Brett Kavanaugh, who said presidents shouldn't be prosecuted or ind… https://t.co/Dh8PKzRjii— Jeff Merkley (@Jeff Merkley) 1531190578.0
So much is at stake here. This is not a hypothetical situation. No president should have free rein with no limits… https://t.co/camf3ZfyI3— Jeff Merkley (@Jeff Merkley) 1531190628.0
If you believe in a We the People country, the ability of women to make their own health decisions, the freedom to… https://t.co/NDAgx1eK7J— Jeff Merkley (@Jeff Merkley) 1531190787.0
Here is #WhatsAtStake, and these are no longer wild hypotheticals; these are REAL and IMMINENT threats to our natio… https://t.co/O3VEcEo9xZ— Senator Jeff Merkley (@Senator Jeff Merkley) 1531184764.0
Brett Kavanaugh could give @realDonaldTrump the power to pardon himself. This is unacceptable. Make sure your Senat… https://t.co/eN3CgI7bPe— Senator Jeff Merkley (@Senator Jeff Merkley) 1531189173.0
Also clearly opposed to Kavanaugh obtaining a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court of the United States was California Senator Kamala Harris, who has also been mentioned as a potential presidential nominee in 2020. Harris is a former prosecutor and Attorney General well familiar with the law.
Trump’s Supreme Court Justice nominee, Judge Kavanaugh, represents a direct and fundamental threat to the rights an… https://t.co/3mwj9M51rJ— Kamala Harris (@Kamala Harris) 1531185931.0
Harris joined others on the steps of the Supreme Court Tuesday morning to voice opposition to Trump's choice of Kavanaugh.
I'm on the steps of the Supreme Court to voice my opposition to Brett Kavanaugh's nomination. Watch live. https://t.co/01iTHjKPJl— Kamala Harris (@Kamala Harris) 1531233638.0
Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, also often mentioned when speculation is made about the 2020 presidential Democratic nomination, voiced their intent to oppose a Kavanaugh lifetime appointment as well.
Brett Kavanaugh is a true Second Amendment radical. He believes assault weapon bans are unconstitutional, a positio… https://t.co/IRiDGl4Ktx— Chris Murphy (@Chris Murphy) 1531185225.0
Brett Kavanaugh's record as a judge and lawyer is clear: hostile to health care for millions, opposed to the CFPB &… https://t.co/s84RjrKlRt— Elizabeth Warren (@Elizabeth Warren) 1531187705.0
No date has been specified yet for Senate hearings regarding Kavanaugh's fitness for the Supreme Court.