Judge Jackson—who would become the first Black woman to sit on the nation’s highest court if confirmed—faced a week of tense questioning from senators on both sides of the aisle. Democrats sought to highlight her qualifications, while Republicans cast her as “soft on crime” and pressed her key social issues.
Some who supported Judge Jackson criticized Republican senators for their lines of questioning, sometimes accusing them of racism. However, during his rally in Commerce, Georgia, on Saturday night, Trump accused her of disrespecting Republican senators with her answers to their questions.
“Judge Jackson was unbelievably disrespectful to Republican senators that in many cases were really nicely asking questions,” he said. “She had total disdain and even hatred for them, and I understand that she’s very proud that she never once voted to support President Trump on anything.”
Despite this claim, she did side with the Trump administration at least one time when she ruled that the Department of Homeland Security could waive environmental laws to build part of the border wall, according to NPR.
Also during the rally, the former president attacked Judge Jackson for declining on how to define what a woman is during her confirmation hearing.
Senator Marsha Blackburn, a Tennessee Republican, asked her if she would define what a “woman” is, however Judge Jackson declined to offer a definition, pointing out that she is not a biologist.
“In my work as a judge, what I do is address disputes. If there’s a dispute about a definition, people make arguments, and I look at the law, and I decide,” she responded.
Trump asked during his rally: “If she can’t even say what a woman is, how on earth can she say what the Constitution is?”
The confirmation hearings touched on a number of topics, including her record on child pornography cases, critical race theory in education and other social issues.
Many have come to Judge Jackson’s defense, criticizing lines of questioning from some Republican senators.
Senator Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat who serves as chair of the Judiciary Committee and Senate majority whip, said he felt “saddened” by the “attack” on Judge Jackson.
“You can disagree with a senator’s vote, you can disagree with a judge’s rulings, but to draw conclusions that really reflect on them personally and their values and take it to an extreme is unfair whether the nominee is a Democrat or a Republican,” he said.
Most Democrats have already announced their support for her, including Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, a key Democratic senator, who previously withheld his vote on key priorities for the Biden administration. Given the Senate’s even split, with Vice President Kamala Harris serving as the tie-breaking vote, no Republican support is needed for her confirmation.
Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment Sunday morning, but did not hear back in time for publication. This story will be updated with any response.
