Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., is taking a beating this week. The freshman senator was brash enough to take the “advise and consent” part of his job seriously and raise a few questions about Neomi Rao, President Trump’s nominee to fill Justice Kavanaugh’s old seat on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals — specifically seeking more information on her position on abortion. For that, the weight of the Republican judicial establishment has fallen on his head.

Carrie Severino at Judicial Crisis Network accused Hawley of acting like a Democrat, and is reportedly planning a half-million dollar campaign against him in Missouri. Law professor Jonathan Adler called Hawley’s actions “bizarre.” The editorial board of the Wall Street Journal condescendingly dismissed “young Mr. Hawley” as “inhaling rumors” and suggested his concerns were rooted in the bad judgment.