Twitter Goes Wild Over Al Franken for Calling Out Neil Gorsuch for ‘Absurdity’

“I had a career in identifying absurdity, and I know it when I see it,” Minnesota senator says at Tuesday’s hearing for Supreme Court nominee

Al Franken
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Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch took a beating from Democratic senators at his confirmation hearing on Tuesday, and Minnesota’s Al Franken held nothing back.

The former “Saturday Night Live” star hammered Gorsuch for claiming to be nonpartisan in his judicial decisions, calling the claim “absurd” during his questioning.

“I had a career in identifying absurdity, and I know it when I see it. And it makes me question your judgement,” said Franken, addressing one of Gorsuch’s dissents as a judge in which the nominee ruled against a trucking company employee who abandoned his vehicle after being left without assistance in the snow for hours.

“I don’t know what I would have done if I were in [the driver’s] shoes,” said Gorsuch. “I don’t blame him at all for doing what he did do. I thought a lot about this case. I totally empathize.”

“I would have done exactly what he did,” Franken responded. “And I think everyone here would have done exactly what he did. And I think it is an easy answer.”

Franken also asked Gorsuch if he believes Barack Obama’s nominee Merrick Garland was treated unfairly by the Republican-led Senate last year, a question Gorsuch declined to answer.

The exchange set off a heated debate among Twitter users. Some cheered Franken’s pointed questioning, while others criticized him for his harsh treatment of Gosruch. See some of the reactions below:

https://twitter.com/JMillhouse/status/844342862846332929

Reid Nakamura

TV reporter • reid.nakamura@thewrap.com • Twitter: @reidnakamura

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