Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Thursday sparred with a protester in front of television cameras over Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
“You’ve humiliated this guy enough and there seems to be no bottom for some of you,” Graham told the woman after she demanded Kavanaugh take a polygraph.
“Why don’t we dunk him in water and see if he floats?” Graham added to the woman, before returning to address reporters.
Graham has been a staunch defender of Kavanaugh since allegations of sexual misconduct were leveled against him last month.
The South Carolina lawmaker exploded into a fiery defense of Kavanaugh during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing last Thursday.
Graham continued to defend Kavanaugh before protestors and reporters on Thursday as Senate Republicans viewed a new FBI report on the allegations.
“The bottom line here: process,” Graham said. “Most all Democrats had made up their mind [before the allegations broke]. Sen. [Mazie] Hirono [(D-Hawaii)] said, ‘well the goal here is to delay the hearing past the midterms so we can fill the seat.’ “
“Now, she was foolish enough to say that. Are we smart enough to believe her? I actually do believe her,” Graham said. “That’s the goal. It’s not about the truth.”
“Enough,” Graham told reporters. “Enough already, let’s vote.”
Several key GOP senators on Thursday emerged from viewing the findings of the FBI’s supplemental investigation into Kavanaugh saying that the bureau’s report did not corroborate claims from Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her at a house party in 1982.
Kavanaugh has vehemently denied the allegations.
The Senate is set to conduct a procedural vote on his nomination on Friday, with a final vote as soon as Saturday.