A high-ranking Democratic leader delivered a scathing response to two of President Donald Trump's federal judicial nominees during a congressional hearing on Wednesday.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) told judicial nominees Matthew A. Schwartz, a third Trump personal attorney who the president has nominated to a circuit court seat, and former Solicitor General of Ohio Benjamin Flowers that he was disappointed in them when they did not clearly respond to his questions about the Capitol attacks on Jan. 6, 2021.
"Was the Capitol attacked on January 6?" Blumenthal asked.
"Senator, there was definitely trespass and violence at the Capitol on January 6, and obviously violence against law enforcement or against political actors is unacceptable," Schwartz said.
"So the Capitol was attacked violently on January 6, correct?" Blumenthal asked again.
"So again, senator, you're asking me to weigh in on sort of public characterizations, what I will say is that there was trespass and there was violence at the Capitol on January 6," Schwartz said.
Blumenthal was infuriated by Schwartz's response.
"You know what makes me angry? Is not just the insult to the role of this committee, but to our intelligence," Blumenthal said.
"Do you really expect us to accept these canned, rehearsed, practiced answers, repeated again and again and again by judicial nominees who have an obligation to be truthful? And most important, you have an obligation to be independent," Blumenthal added. "You both know better. You both have records of litigating. And you both would expect more of nominees in your position because — above all — a federal judge must be independent without fear or favor, and your fear, apparently of Donald Trump, so much so that you practiced with the White House before you came here and rehearsed this answer and are repeating by rote, what you've been told to say, in my view is disqualifying. And I'm really disappointed in both of you because I would have expected better."
