President Trump’s second nomination to the Supreme Court was announced last night and the political and legal world reacted, especially on Twitter. I rounded up some of the best of those reactions and brought them to you.
Surely, something as dull as a judicial nomination won’t inspire hyperbole and hysteria, will it? If you think so, congratulations on having never been on social media.
Even CONSIDERING this nomination will cement the first American dictatorship #KavaNO
— Joss Whedon (@joss) July 10, 2018
But it wasn’t all bad. Conservative reaction to Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination was fairly subdued.
Excellent choice for SCOTUS. Judge Kavanaugh will be a strong defender of the Constitution.
— Jeb Bush (@JebBush) July 10, 2018
Kavanaugh is damn good on the administrative state. Good for chevron deference opponents. A lot to like!!
— Shoshana Weissmann, Sloth Committee Chair (@senatorshoshana) July 10, 2018
Annnnnnd it’s official: Brett Kavanaugh. Not Barrett, better choice than Hardiman, confirm ASAP.
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) July 10, 2018
Conservatives will be super happy with Kavanaugh: He was an obvious choice for any GOP President wanting to please the base.
— Orin Kerr (@OrinKerr) July 10, 2018
Justice Kavanaugh mugs already available via @LeastDangerous
“The separation of powers is primarily designed to protect individual liberty.” pic.twitter.com/74au1E53fg— Sheldon Gilbert (@sheldongilbert) July 10, 2018
I would have preferred Kethledge — something of an outsider, and a midwesterner — but I am quite content with Kavanaugh. His record is long and solid, and his intellectual force is of the sort that creates schools of thought in the long run.
— Jeff B. (@EsotericCD) July 10, 2018
Though some thought the pick could’ve been better.
he should have picked Mueller for SCOTUS to end the special counsel
— Alex Muresianu (@ahardtospell) July 10, 2018
Can’t believe Trump snubbed Pirro.
— Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) July 10, 2018
NOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo@JusticeWillett pic.twitter.com/W2EVO4VUCB
— Crazy Eyed Socialist (@GayPatriot) July 10, 2018
the justice we deserved pic.twitter.com/IQFtzeaXnC
— Seinfeld Current Day (@Seinfeld2000) July 10, 2018
People also got a little silly.
Judge Brett Kavanaugh should have to put on a SCOTUS hat like he was just drafted by an NBA team.
— Pat Ward (@WardDPatrick) July 10, 2018
Mood: pic.twitter.com/LYLCbwYFD7
— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) July 10, 2018
Pictured, Merrick Garland at the White House tonight pic.twitter.com/hhBxh3NgkF
— Markos_Anderson (@Markos_Anderson) July 10, 2018
#ScotusPick pic.twitter.com/rFFmxgoMID
— Heather Champion (@winningatmylife) July 10, 2018
When you find out you didn’t get nominated to the Supreme Court pic.twitter.com/BYEzac1s5J
— Siraj Hashmi (@SirajAHashmi) July 10, 2018
And even triumphant.
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) July 10, 2018
Kavanaugh pic.twitter.com/IKo3ynGsOl
— Evan Siegfried (@evansiegfried) July 10, 2018
Welcome to the family, @BrettKavanaugh. #SCOTUS @ComfortablySmug pic.twitter.com/IibSgU2z17
— Jared Sexton (@JaredHSexton) July 10, 2018
Then, there was the reaction from the Left. Some were so angered that they didn’t even have time to learn the name of the judge that they now hate.
“she” pic.twitter.com/99aAl0CjFS
— James Taranto (@jamestaranto) July 10, 2018
Everyone needs a copy editor, example number 4,732 pic.twitter.com/8wS3WmBi1i
— Jason Seher (@jhseher) July 10, 2018
Protesters at #SCOTUS filling in those blanks… pic.twitter.com/tISd2HBTG5
— Lyndsey Fifield (@lyndseyfifield) July 10, 2018
Other attacks were clearly written once Judge Amy Barrett was no longer thought to be the nominee.
Raise your hand if you knew that Trump would never nominate anyone other than another white male.#SCOTUS #SupremeCourt #BrettKavanaugh
— Peter Daou (@peterdaou) July 10, 2018
Some were hung up on Merrick Garland, which is kind of like still being mad about Herbert Hoover.
Tonight, the President of the United States remains under investigation. Like Justice Gorsuch, his nominee to #SCOTUS will always have a asterisk besides his name.
I cannot respect this choice or selection to the highest court.#Resist
— Donna Brazile (@donnabrazile) July 10, 2018
The junior-varsity Sid Blumenthal added to the furor, too.
Dear Mitch McConnell, you are a #SupremeCourt THIEF. Your legacy will be that you stole a #SCOTUS pick from America’s first black president. https://t.co/xCB6m9w6Ov
— Peter Daou (@peterdaou) July 10, 2018
Others talked about some show on Hulu or something.
I wonder what my Handmaid’s Tale name will be. https://t.co/dq7roiZHgf
— Kat Corbett (@KatCorbett) July 10, 2018
The world is literally turning into The Handmaid’s Tale. https://t.co/1po0vwxEJk
— Nina Parker (@MzGossipGirl) July 10, 2018
It’s really disturbing that the people determining the fate of women’s health and civil rights don’t understand that The Handmaid’s Tale is dystopia. #ScotusPick
— Miranda Yaver (@mirandayaver) July 9, 2018
It’s a welcome change from Harry Potter analogies, I guess. But most common was the garden-variety hyperbole that greets any Republican president’s nominee:
A Supreme Court pick by Trump is a choice in favor of white supremacy, racism, xenophobia, ultra conservatism, & a further erosion of our democracy.
There should be no Democrat who says yes. They should fight tooth & nail, by any means necessary, to stop this. #NoToKavanaugh
— X (@XLNB) July 10, 2018
love how the supreme court pick is teased like a game show contestant.
its like the Price Is Right but instead of winning a car, women and gays lose our basic rights and also black people can’t vote
— Matt Bellassai (@MattBellassai) July 9, 2018
RESIST, y’all.
No Drumpf Appointment Until the Russia Investigation Is Complete https://t.co/OjGZGnpVNP @moveon— Cathleen Falsani (@godgrrl) July 10, 2018
Given how grossly unqualified this administration is, I’d grimly joked the new #ScotusPick would be a scarecrow w/ a Hitler mustache.
But really, it’d ultimately be less harmful than Brett Kavanaugh.
Dems & everyone w/ a conscience, it’s all hands on deck. Stay on the phones.
— Litsa Dremousis (@LitsaDremousis) July 10, 2018
OK Ladies and Gentlemen who care for and respect ladies, it is official. The move back to Medieval Values, Shariah Law even, where old, bitter men get to tell women what is best for their bodies, lives, and well being is as done a deal as this is Twitter. Unless we say NO! NO!
— Ron Perlman (@perlmutations) July 10, 2018
As usual, former governor and future unindicted co-conspirator Terry McAuliffe set the standard for innumerate hackery.
The nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh will threaten the lives of millions of Americans for decades to come and will morph our Supreme Court into a political arm of the right-wing Republican Party.
— Terry McAuliffe (@TerryMcAuliffe) July 10, 2018
Millions! That all sounds pretty serious. Fortunately, we know that elections have consequences, and we all know the consequence for Senate Democrats of the last election:
You have nothing. https://t.co/KTld79cEcu
— Cam Edwards (@CamEdwards) July 10, 2018
