Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, 92, called acting Attorney General Todd Blanche "Mr. Branch" and urged his "Democart" colleagues to look in "the mayor" while chairing the opening of a confirmation hearing Wednesday.
Blanche, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, has served as acting attorney general since April, when Trump pushed out former Attorney General Pam Bondi over her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, according to NPR.
A single Republican "no" vote on the committee could kill Blanche's nomination, NPR reported.
Grassley, chairing the hearing as Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, wasted no time going on offense.
"As sure as sunrise, today, some of my Democart colleagues will tell us that Mr. Branch is a uniquely terrible nominee," Grassley said at the hearing. "I urge them to remember the boy who cried wolf and take a long look in the mayor before lecturing anyone about partisanship at the Justice Department."
Grassley likely intended to say "Mr. Blanche," "Democrat," and "the mirror."
"Since the very beginning of this Congress, Democrats have engaged in a relentless obstruction campaign for nearly every one of President Trump's nominees," Grassley said, reading aloud from a speech he delivered last year.
Conservative radio host Mark Kaye wrote on X that Grassley was "old enough to buy beer" when Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) was born.
Commentator Sophia Nelson posted on X that the Senate is "demographically an old deliberative body" made up of mostly men, very white, and with an average age over 65.
Grassley has served in the Senate for 45 years — longer than any sitting senator — and is currently third in line to the presidency as Senate president pro tempore. He has had a hip fracture, a hospitalization for infection, and gallstone surgery since 2023, according to his office and news reports.
He has not ruled out running again in 2028, when he would be 95.