Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., on Friday called on President-elect Trump to reverse his decision to nominate Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., as his attorney general.
In a statement, Warren argued that there “can be no compromise with racism,” pointing to statements he made decades ago that led the Senate Judiciary Committee to reject Sessions’ nomination to the U.S. District Court in 1986. She added that if Trump does not rescind his nomination, the Senate should “exercise fundamental moral leadership” and reject the nomination in January.
“Instead of embracing the bigotry that fueled his campaign rallies, I urge President-elect Trump to reverse his apparent decision to nominate Sen. Sessions to be attorney general of the United States,” Warren said. “If he refuses, then it will fall to the Senate to exercise fundamental moral leadership for our nation and all of its people.”
“Thirty years ago, a different Republican Senate rejected Sen. Sessions’ nomination to a federal judgeship. In doing so, that Senate affirmed that there can be no compromise with racism; no negotiation with hate,” Warren continued. “Today, a new Republican Senate must decide whether self-interest and political cowardice will prevent them from once again doing what is right.”
Warren’s statement is just the latest from Democratic circles to question Trump’s nomination. Sen. Chuck Schumer, who will take over as the top Senate Democrat in January, said that he was “very concerned” with Sessions’ potential actions regarding the Civil Rights Division at the Justice Department and noted that he will have to answer “tough questions” in his confirmation process.
