MSNBC guest Chai Komanduri accused Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, of committing a hate crime when asking Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson questions about critical race theory.
On her second day of confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday, Cruz asked Jackson questions about her “lenient” sentences for child pornography offenders and whether she supports critical race theory.
Appearing on MSNBC’s The Beat Tuesday night, Komanduri said Jackson was only being questioned about critical race theory because she is a black woman, saying Cruz’s questions were intended to paint her as a “black radical who is out to get white people.”
“It’s really ugly,” Komanduri said. “Quite frankly, it looked like I saw Ted Cruz commit a hate crime in that hearing room. It was McCarthyism at its worst.”
Komanduri also said Cruz and Tennessee GOP Sen. Marsha Blackburn were trying to create racial grievances against Jackson.
“He wants to gin up white grievance, him and Marsha Blackburn, the GOP want to gin up white grievance ahead of the midterm and link Judge Jackson to that cause,” he said. “It really frankly was disgusting and ugly to watch.”
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Cruz defended his line of questioning.
“I think there’s real reasons to have concerns that if Judge Jackson becomes Justice Jackson, that we will see a vote on the far Left, very possibly the furthest left of any of the nine justices,” Cruz said.
During the hearing, Cruz noted Jackson serves as a trustee of Georgetown Day School, an elite Washington, D.C., private school that promotes author Ibram X. Kendi’s book, How to be an Antiracist, among other works tied to critical race theory. The senator held up copies of books he said are assigned as part of the school’s curricula.
Jackson said she had not reviewed the books, noting they do not apply to her work as a judge.
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Blackburn also questioned Jackson to define the word “woman.”
Jackson responded she could not.
“You can’t?” Blackburn asked.
“Not in this context. I’m not a biologist,” Jackson said. “In my work as a judge, what I do is address disputes. If there is a dispute about a definition, people make arguments, and I look at the law, and I decide.”
Jackson faces questions on her third day of confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.
