Talking Points Memo writer Kate Riga reports a loyal ally of President Donald Trump appears to be turning on one of the president’s judicial nominees.
“Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), usually a fairly reliable Republican foot soldier, grilled a Trump judicial nominee Wednesday about his bigoted preachings,” Riga wrote Wednesday.
Trump nominated attorney Justin Olson to be a U.S. district judge for the Southern District of Indiana. But Olsen has been active in anti-trans litigation, leading a case to have transgender female athletes stripped of their NCAA awards.
Kennedy appeared to take issue with statements Olson made about marriage rights.
“During that sermon, you said that marriage was not intended for all people, including — and I’m gonna quote your words — ‘our handicapped friends or our persons with physical disabilities that might prevent the robust marriage that we’re called to.’ Did you say that?” Kennedy asked during the Senate Judiciary hearing.
Olson confirmed that he did, and Kennedy then asked whether he believes that “folks with handicaps and physical disabilities should not be able to marry?”
“No, senator — I was explaining the meaning of Christ’s words that some, to use Christ’s terms, are eunuchs by birth, and explaining that the meaning of that verse in the context of those who are called to singleness and that there are various reasons why individuals don’t get married …” Olson replied, before Kennedy cut him off: “Yeah, but what about folks who are handicapped or who have developmental disabilities?”
Riga said Olson insisted he was using an “illustration” of why some might choose not to marry, not that they “couldn’t or shouldn’t.” But Kennedy went on to pull quotes from Olson’s other public remarks, quoting a 2022 sermon in which Olson claimed “‘transgenderism, homosexuality, fornication, and all sorts of sexual perversions’ was a form of hypocrisy from ‘shame on the inside.’”
Olson claimed these were his religious views, that “as a judge sitting here today my obligation is to apply the rule of law.” But Kennedy replied: “I understand that but my obligation is to try to understand you, because this is a lifetime appointment.”
Kennedy then went on to cite Olsen’s claim that “Christian marriage provides that women have to be subservient to their husbands.”
“Those are not my words,” Olson said, saying he was quoting the Bible.
“You said them, do you believe them?” Kennedy asked.
“Senator, I believe every word of the Bible,” Olson said.
Read the Talking Points Memo article at this link.