Republican Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) is being ridiculed across all media after his attempt to smear Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s record backfired when Jackson fact-checked him in real-time by telling him to “read two more sentences down,” a phrase that is now trending on Twitter.
During Wednesday’s hearing, the North Carolina Senator suggested that Jackson was advocating for the release of all prisoners in COVID-19-infected facilities, regardless of the offense they committed.
Reading from a portion of Jackson’s ruling, Tillis stated: “You said, ‘the obvious increased risk of harm that the COVID-19 pandemic poses to individuals who have been detained in the districts congressional facilities reasonably suggests that each and every — and I think that means everyone — every defendant who is currently in the D.C. Department of Corrections custody and who thus cannot take independent measures to control their own hygiene and distance themselves from others should be released.’”
He added: “I voted and supported the FIRST STEP Act. I … did the Justice Reinvestment Act, early release of nonviolent prisoners. But how can I not read this to say that perhaps they should be released irrespective of the crime for which they have been charged?”
What came next set the internet abuzz.
“Senator, if you read two more sentences down, that is precisely what I focus on,” Jackson replied. “This is a case, United States v. Wiggins, where I was setting up high analysis as to why I would not be releasing Mr. Wiggins in this case. He was arguing essentially what I said in that statement. He was arguing that the circumstances of COVID-19, which at that point, was rampant in the prisons. We had not had a vaccine, there were very difficult circumstances for prisoners who could not be separated from each other in the context of our jail. And as I say at the beginning of that opinion, at that point, COVID was ravaging the jail. The question for courts under the statute that Congress has enacted for compassionate release was whether COVID-19, a pandemic in the jail, was an extraordinary and exceptional circumstance or extraordinary and compelling circumstances that should warrant release.”
RELATED: Judge Jackson Swiftly Fact-Checks Thom Tillis’s False Claim About Her Ruling.
Jackson added: “What I said in that statement that you read was, it would seem as though something like a deadly pandemic rampant in the jails would justify releasing everyone, but, I go on to say in that very opinion, Congress has indicated that we have to take each case individually. We have to look at the harm to the community that might be caused by the release of individual people. We cannot just release everybody, I said in that opinion.”
Here’s how people are reacting to Jackson’s response:
@ThomTillis @SenThomTillis Just another asshole Thom? Have you learned to read yet? Takes a woman to ridicule you! @SenateGOP https://t.co/uwFO8F38Du
— Shrn (@Shrn56097075) March 23, 2022
Republican Thom Tillis: Do I read that statement [correctly]?
Judge Jackson: "No, senator, you don't read it correctly."Later, from Judge Jackson: "Senator, if you read two more sentences down, that is precisely what I focus on."
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) March 23, 2022
“senator if you read two more sentences down” pic.twitter.com/k1as2kEhdK
— yolanda fister (@yolandafister) March 23, 2022
"If you just read two more sentences down."…LOVE her!!!
— KathleenE💙💛 (@kateisme08) March 23, 2022
every so often i see a "per my last email" conversation #onhere. KBJ just hit Tillis with "If you read two more sentences down I wrote…"
— Robert Baldwin III (@rbaldwiniii) March 23, 2022
“If you read TWO MORE SENTENCES DOWN!”- #KetanjiBrownJackson THAT IS A BLACK WOMAN WHOS FED UP WITH REPUBLICAN FAUX ARGUMENTS. CONFIRM HER NOW!!! #SCOTUS pic.twitter.com/0G49deCdmy
— 💛THEE JO!💛 (@Jo_lover234) March 23, 2022
“Read two more sentences down!”
— Geoff Colbert, M.Ed (He/Him) (@MrGeoff_Colbert) March 23, 2022
Senator @ThomTillis if you read two more sentences down you’ll see that I address that exact thing. #tillisgotserved make this trend please #tillisgotserved @thomtillis why try to play games with someone who’s way smarter than you!
— Mongo just pawn in game of life. (@greevy64) March 23, 2022
Judge Jackson said read two more sentences down he would get his answer. She pounding the shit out of Tillis. He looked at his papers then set them aside but still stopped her from fully responding. He is a pos in case I have not mentioned it.
— Just a Rancher (@Justaranch) March 23, 2022
Boom!! #KBJ just told Tom Tillis “If you read two more sentences down” GET HIM SIS!!!!🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥. He just got destroyed and is now cutting her off from her Teflon-strength answer! #KetanjiBrownJackson #KetanjiBrownJacksonHearing #ConfirmationHearing pic.twitter.com/NDmc9EYiQ5
— CS (@makeupcs) March 23, 2022
'Senator Tillis, please read two more sentences down to see the answer to your question.' Oh brother.
— illusory tenant 🇺🇦 (@illusory_tenant) March 23, 2022
“If you read two more sentences down, that’s specifically what I address” #JudgeKetanjiBrownJackson pic.twitter.com/wFqk88Iv1y
— the oldest teacher at the poorest school (@R0ckTheMike) March 23, 2022
“Senator, if you would read two more sentences down…” You deserved that,
— Cheri Lovell (@thestrategicorg) March 23, 2022
TILLIS (on an an opinion re: releasing prisoners due to Covid concerns): How can I not read this to say perhaps they should be released irrespective of the crime that they would be charged?
JACKSON: Senator, if you read two more sentences down, that is precisely what I state…— Diane Macedo (@dianermacedo) March 23, 2022
Ketanji Brown Jackson saying “if you read two more sentences down” without having notes in front of her. That’s it, that’s the tweet.
— Allie Peck (@apeck422) March 23, 2022
This is hilarious 😆 "senator if you read two more sentences down, I say exactly the opposite of what you are claiming I said." 🔥🔥🔥🔥
— ▶️💟amy▶️💟 (@actually_amy) March 23, 2022
Tillis: (when reading a citation on covid prisoner early release) "Did I read that correctly?"
KJ: "No, Senator, you did not. If you read two more sentences down, this is exactly what I address"
— BgMac J&J + Pfizer Boost (@b_redux) March 23, 2022
