McCaskill: 'Drama Guy' Lindsey Graham 'Awkward' at Ketanji Brown Jackson Hearing

Former Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) said Tuesday on MSNBC’s “Deadline” that Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-SC) questioning of Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson was “awkward.”

Guest-host Alex Wagner said, “Claire, what of the drama starring Lindsey Graham, written by Lindsey Graham, lighting and costumes by Lindsey Graham? Lindsey Graham brought the fireworks, the drama, this afternoon when he took his moment to question Judge Jackson to unleash a litany of complaints about how conservatives have been mistreated in hearings and otherwise more broadly in society and stormed out of the hearing. What did you make of that performance? Was it effective? What’s the point of it all?”

McCaskill said, “I guess I’d have to, you know, figure out who Lindsey was playing to. I guess he was playing to that 25% of the population out there that are big Trump supporters and are the base of the Republican Party right now. It certainly was not the Lindsey Graham of most judiciary committee confirmation hearings. This is a man who voted for a number of Democratic nominees through the years and who typically looked at qualifications and did not engage in histrionics. He had a moment during the Kavanaugh hearings where he used righteous anger, and he believes that turned the tide for Justice Kavanaugh. He may have been right, and I think he’s gotten comfortable in that role. So now he’s kind of the drama guy. I was disappointed.”

She added, “This was what I thought: This was awkward. He was kind of trying to put on a show. Like you said, give me the popcorn, and where are the credits?”

Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN