Sen. Scott on Judge Jackson's confirmation hearing: 'The stench of the hypocrisy from the left is undeniable'

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Sen. Tim Scott: Big media wants to make this Supreme Court confirmation hearing about 'race and gender'

Republican senator outlines party's plan for Biden's SCOTUS pick Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's confirmation hearing on 'Jesse Watters Primetime.'

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., told Fox News Monday that Republicans intend to focus on Ketanji Brown Jackson's judicial philosophy, and will not allow the media to turn her confirmation hearing into an issue of "race and gender" to fuel a political narrative.

"Well, there is no doubt that the big media wants to make this into an issue of race and gender and the stench of the hypocrisy from the left is undeniable," Scott told Fox News host Brian Kilmeade following Jackson's first appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee.  

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Jackson delivered an opening statement at her confirmation hearing, after more than four hours of opening statements from senators in which Republicans appeared to be laying the groundwork for attacks on Jackson's record and Democrats preemptively set up their defenses. 

Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson listens during confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee Monday, March 21, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Echoing some of his other colleagues who vowed to make sure hearing stayed above board, Scott said Republicans intend to delve into concerns they have surrounding Jackson's "philosophy as a judge" and her judicial record as a federal district judge.

"We are going to focus on how does did she rule in the past and why were some of those rulings overturned by a higher court," he said. "We are going to focus on making sure that America’s Supreme Court gets the justice they deserve. This is not Biden’s Supreme Court. This is not the progressive Supreme Court. This is America’s Supreme Court.

He added, "I can tell you that Republicans will dig into her record, but we’re interested in who she is as a judge not what she looks like. …unlike the Democrats who literally want to assassinate the character, including of our Supreme Court justice Coney Barrett."

Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett speaks at a confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington.

Kilmeade noted that Jackson refused to answer whether she supports packing the court earlier in the day, before asking, "How could she not comment on something that would diminish the impact on something she wants to be on?"

"What we have to do is make sure that she answers legitimate questions and every single question we ask about her philosophy is important," Scott agreed.

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"Every question she gets on her cases, those questions are important. We should never deny the American people the information they need to see to know who is coming to the court or why we are going to deny her a seat on the court," he said, reiterating that "Both sides need to be heard out."