Judge Neil Gorsuch was waxing poetic about the Declaration of Independence Wednesday when a tongue twister caused him to spit out a favorite word of President Trump: Bigly.
The federal appeals judge fouled up the word in an answer to Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse on day three of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Gorsuch’s Supreme Court nomination.
“That’s why John Hancock is now synonymous with his signature,” Gorsuch said. “No one remembers who John Hancock was but they know that’s his signature because he wrote his name so bigly — big and boldly.”
“You just said bigly,” Sasse said as the room laughed, “and I just won five bucks.”
“You embarrassed me in front of my nephew and he loves it,” Gorsuch replied.
“He’s the one paying me the five bucks,” Sasse answered.
“The Declaration of Independence, is that where we were?” Gorsuch asked after a pause.
“I think my work here is done, but I do want to hear your answer,” Sasse said, as Gorsuch resumed answering the question.
Sasse has had a penchant for eliciting funny moments from the judge during the marathon hearings. On Tuesday, Sasse asked about Gorsuch’s “SCOTUS bladder.”
