(Tony Sifert, Headline USA) Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., stormed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s second day of hearings for President Joe Biden’s Supreme Court nominee following a bizarre argument with Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., over the “recidivism rate” of released Guantanamo detainees.
Graham responded angrily to Durbin’s critiquing his line of questioning regarding Judge Kentanji Brown Jackson’s work as a lawyer representing people detained at Guantanamo Bay, according to the Daily Wire.
During his question period, Graham told Jackson that while he did not hold against her “the fact that [she] had represented Gitmo detainees,” he thought it was time to take a new look at a system that had allowed “31% of [detainees] to go back to the fight to kill Americans.”
After Graham concluded his questioning, Durbin — the committee chair — intervened to claim that “since 2009, with the beginning of the Obama administration, the recidivism rate of Guantanamo detainees released is 5%.”
Graham immediately returned to the microphone to respond.
“Mr. Chairman, according to the Director of National Intelligence it’s 31%. Somebody is wrong here,” Graham told Durbin.
Graham then peppered Durbin with questions about the consequences of closing Gitmo, before storming out of the chamber.
“I’m suggesting the system has failed miserably and advocates to change the system like [Judge Jackson] was advocating would destroy our ability to protect this country,” Graham said.
“I hope they all die in jail if they’re going to go back and kill Americans,” he said of Gitmo detainees.
“Look at the frickin’ Afghan government, it’s made up of former detainees at Gitmo — this whole thing by the left about this war ain’t working.”
Graham storms out: Things got testy Tuesday during Sen. @LindseyGrahamSC ‘s questions of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson during her Supreme Court confirmation hearing. #SCOTUS pic.twitter.com/Et5fGL0Ik8
— WYFF News 4 (@wyffnews4) March 22, 2022
Graham, who was one of three Republicans to join Democrats last year in confirming Jackson to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, reportedly hoped that Biden would nominate J. Michelle Childs, a district judge from South Carolina.
After Biden announced his nomination, Graham complained on Twitter that “the radical Left has won President Biden over yet again.”
If media reports are accurate, and Judge Jackson has been chosen as the Supreme Court nominee to replace Justice Breyer, it means the radical Left has won President Biden over yet again.
The attacks by the Left on Judge Childs from South Carolina apparently worked.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) February 25, 2022
If Round 2 of KBJ‘s hearing was any indication, Graham’s warnings were on the mark. On everything from abortion and gender identity to leniency on criminals and critical race theory, Jackson had difficulty explaining her leftist past on the bench.
SEN. @JohnKennedyLA: “When does life begin, in your opinion?”
JACKSON: “Senator, um… I don’t know.” pic.twitter.com/JRJ4RS3xVA
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 23, 2022
SEN. BLACKBURN: “Can you provide a definition of the word ‘woman’?”
JACKSON: “No, I can’t”
BLACKBURN: “You can’t?”
JACKSON: “I’m not a biologist” pic.twitter.com/i7Rg83z5Y4
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 23, 2022
WATCH: Senator @TomCottonAR confronts Ketanji Brown Jackson for APOLOGIZING to a fentanyl drug kingpin and reducing his jail sentence pic.twitter.com/qR6Cn0B2AW
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 22, 2022
Marsha Blackburn EXPOSES Biden Supreme Court pick to her FACE over her support of CRT— She sits in STUNNED silence pic.twitter.com/PqGYgcCZnb
— Benny (@bennyjohnson) March 22, 2022
And when the search for answers got too tough, Durbin proclaimed that any questioning of Jackson, no matter how legitimate, should be considered “attacks” on Biden’s black, female nominee.
Democrat Sen. Dick Durbin says legitimate questions from Republicans about Ketanji Brown Jackson’s lenient treatment of convicted child pornographers amount to “attacks.” pic.twitter.com/Qp025fh11b
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 22, 2022
