C. Boyden Gray, a former advisor to Supreme Court Justice Clarance Thomas, says President Trump’s nominee Brett Kavanaugh won’t be seen as a “bipartisan choice” even if Kavanaugh is confirmed.
“There’s going to be a party line vote on this and we may get a couple of Democrats on this if the Republicans hold firm but it won’t be considered a bipartisan choice the way every single other nominee to the court has always been,” Gray told Hill.TV “Rising” co-hosts Krystal Ball and Buck Sexton on Tuesday.
Gray said a lot has changed since Clarance Thomas’ confirmation hearings 27 years ago. He founded The Committee for Justice, which is a nonprofit group that is a voice for conservative judicial appointments.
Despite the drama surrounding the confirmation of Thomas’ and testimony of Anita Hill, Gray said that many Democrats still voted for the now-Supreme Court Justice. Like Kavanaugh, Thomas faced sexual harassment allegations during his confirmation hearings.
“What’s really changed I think since I was involved is the complete partisan polarization – there never has been a party line vote for a Supreme Court nominee,” he told Hill.TV.
But, despite the increasingly polarizing political environment, Gray says the Supreme Court itself hasn’t become more partisan, calling it “the most collegial group of human beings in Washington, D.C,” and argues Kavanuagh’s presence on the court won’t make that much of a difference.
“The court is not that divided and Kavanuagh itself has voted with the majority when he was on the court of appeals, he’s not a divisive or polarizing figure,” the former advisor said.
Kavanaugh’s confirmation process has been an uphill battle for Republicans.
Two women — Deborah Ramirez and Dr. Christine Blasey Ford – accused President Trump’s nominee of sexual misconduct, and Attorney Michael Avenatti told The Guardian on Tuesday that another woman has reached out to him with new allegations against Kavanaugh.
But President Trump continues to double-down on his attacks on Kavanaugh’s accusers, saying they are part of a “con game” by Democrats against his Supreme Court nominee.
— Tess Bonn
This story was updated at 10:45 a.m.
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