Manchin: GOP treatment of Jackson 'disgraceful,' 'embarrassing'

Centrist Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said the way Republican senators treated Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson at last week’s hearings was “disgraceful” and “embarrassing” after they repeatedly brought up her record of sentencing child pornography offenders.  

Manchin said the behavior of GOP colleagues who repeatedly cut off Jackson while she tried to answer their questions about her sentencing decision crossed the line to become inappropriate.  

“It was disgraceful, it really was, what I saw. And I met with her and I read all the transcripts. I listened to basically the hearings and it just was embarrassing,” he told reporters Tuesday morning.  

“It’s not who we are. It’s not what we were sent here to do, to attack other people and just try to tear them down. I won’t be part of that. I think she’s extremely well qualified and I think she’ll be an exemplary judge,” he added.  

Manchin’s comments appeared to refer to the aggressive treatment of Jackson by Republican senators on the Judiciary Committee, including Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas) and Josh Hawley (Mo.), who are both angling for potential White House bids in 2024.  

Cruz and Hawley repeatedly asked Jackson to explain her sentencing decisions in seven child pornography cases in which she handed down sentences giving the convicted offenders less time in prison than what prosecutors demanded.