Conservatives and other supporters of new Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh posted on social media Saturday night with the hashtags #Beers4Brett and #BeersForBrett. Kavanaugh was confirmed earlier in the day with by a 50-48 vote in the Senate, and was sworn in shortly afterward.
The hashtag appeared to be a reference to Kavanaugh’s testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he said “I still like beer.”
“I drank beer with my friends, sometimes I had too beers, sometimes others did, I liked beer, I still like beer, but did not drink beer to the point of blacking out and I never sexually assaulted anyone,” Kavanaugh said.
Kavanaugh’s supporters posted pictures of beer or they posed with their beer. Even Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn got in on the action, posting a picture of champagne and writing “Not quite #Beers4Brett but #Bubbly4Brett instead.”
Other prominent conservatives, including The Daily Caller’s Benny Johnson, posted with the hashtag.
The pictures and hashtag were seen as insensitive to many who noted that Kavanaugh had been accused of sexual assault. Kavanaugh denied the allegations.
The celebrations contrasted with the hundreds of protesters outside the Capitol and Supreme Court. Police said they arrested at least 164 people in Washington on charges of crowding, obstructing or incommoding. The Senate vote was consistently interrupted by protesters yelling and being escorted out of the Gallery.
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