Sen. Ted Cruz, of Texas, sparked the ire of the internet over his denigrating questioning of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson and trying to distort her views on critical race theory during her Supreme Court confirmation hearing Tuesday afternoon.
The GOP senator began with a bizarre opening statement, citing sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh as “teenage dating habits.” He then pivoted to Critical Race theory, referring to a speech Judge Jackson gave at the University of Michigan in 2020 where she mentioned Nikole Hannah-Jones’ 1619 Project. But his attempt to score political points was thwarted by Jackson’s response:
“It doesn’t come up in my work as It’s never something that I have studied or relied on, and it wouldn’t be something that I would rely on if I was on the Supreme Court,” the judge told Cruz.
Cruz continued to press Jackson on the subject and whether it should be taught to young children in schools, grilling her on books about racism and critical race theory that are available at Georgetown Day School, an institution that she’s a board member of.
Jackson said that she was not aware of the books Cruz had mentioned and maintained that the subject is not something that has been relevant to her as a judge.
“Senator, I have not reviewed any of those books, any of those ideas. They don’t come up in my work as a judge, which I am, respectfully, here, to address,” she said.
Cruz’s disparaging behavior toward Jackson didn’t go noticed by social media users who quickly took him to the woodshed.
Check some of the reactions below:
"I have not reviewed any of those books, any of those ideas. They don't come up in my work as a judge."
That's Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's response after @tedcruz asked if she was "comfortable" with books like "Antiracist Baby" and "Stamped (For Kids)" being taught to kids. pic.twitter.com/FvvjbeKlSN
— Mediaite (@Mediaite) March 22, 2022
Ted Cruz trying and failing to outsmart Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson …
actually proves KBJ is qualified
because we definitely need SCOTUS Justices to be smarter than Ted Cruz! pic.twitter.com/xcQpmrjhBk
— BebopSpaceCowgirl 🌈💖💚❤️💙💜 (@jomareewade) March 22, 2022
Maybe Ted Cruz will change his opinion on critical race theory now that he's been completely owned by Ketanji Brown Jackson.
— Abraxsys (@Abraxsys) March 22, 2022
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is dunking on Ted Cruz and I’m here for it.
— Jack Cocchiarella (@JDCocchiarella) March 22, 2022
Ted Cruz making it crystal clear he’s trying to score political points with the Republican base right now.
Critical Race Theory has nothing to do with Ketanji Brown Jackson BUT IT IS RED MEAT TO HIS BASE. #DogWhistlePolitics
— Christopher Webb 🇺🇸 (@cwebbonline) March 22, 2022
I didn’t know she was interviewing for a position as principal for a school.
— Rick Compton 💙🌻 (@rickcomp52) March 22, 2022
— Skye (@Skye3411) March 22, 2022
FUCK, he knows damn well that CRT is not taught in schools unless you are in law school. I just want to SCREAM
— Osiris Arellano (@OsirisArellano4) March 22, 2022
— Josh Badgley (@joshbadgley01) March 22, 2022
Did she write the book? What does that book have to being a judge on the Supreme Court? What does Georgetown Day School have anything to do with with Judge Jackson?
— Michael Puente (@MikePuenteNews) March 22, 2022
@tedcruz – I begged you yesterday morning not to embarrass the state of Texas. But you just couldn't help yourself. Reelection coffin – meet nail. pic.twitter.com/5BNMLNnRov
— Democracy Matters 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇦🇺🇦 (@jmal52) March 22, 2022
Your disrespect and distain for Judge Jackson is disguising. A list of children books at a private school is really what you focus on??
— Lisa Walker (@walkerlj) March 22, 2022
Ted Cruz used bogus examples to try to set Ketanji Brown Jackson on her heals. She should have asked him why he can't get through an airport without having an issue with the people that work there.
— William (@BrudolphWilliam) March 22, 2022
