One much-discussed moment at yesterday’s confirmation hearing for Trump SCOTUS nominee Brett Kavanaugh happened when Fred Guttenberg, the father of a victim of the Parkland mass school shooting, approached Kavanaugh to shake his hand. Kavanaugh responded with cowardice, refusing to shake Guttenberg’s hand before being escorted off by security.
More telling was the White House’s response to the moment. CNN’s Chris Cuomo discussed it with Seth Meyers (above).
Said Cuomo: “I believe you will see the judge recognize the man and the gesture. He does nothing. Turns away. And then security escorts him. The White House says I’m completely wrong, that the video is clear evidence of the judge wanting to connect, not having time because he was whisked away by security.”
After watching the video, Cuomo adds: “The father of one of the kids who was murdered at Parkland reaches out his hand, says his name, and you don’t shake their hand. Now, first thing we have to do is give the judge an ability to explain, okay? What was your understanding of it? Why did it happen that way? My concern about it is twofold. We are not allowing ourself to disagree with anybody with decency any more. The president very much foments that. The second thing is the ‘don’t believe your lying eyes’ stuff that comes out of the White House…That was clear evidence that it wasn’t the judge turning away from a man with their outreached hand? I mean, it’s just crazy talk.”
Cuomo and Meyers went on to talk about the reports in Bob Woodward’s book, Fear.
And why Republicans embrace Trump:
