Kennedy Presses Barrett: Are You a Liar?

You tired, Judge?

I'm looking forward to the end of the hearing today, I must admit.

Me too. I'm still going to ask you questions.

I was hoping you'd say you were going to yield your time, Senator.

No, ma'am.

A lot of my colleagues, and you as well, have talked about the oath that you will take if you're confirmed and sworn in as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. What's in that oath? What's it say?

Well, that oath requires a judge, you know, I've taken the oath as a judge, to do equal justice to all, you know, without fear or favor, you know, regardless of wealth. You know, to fairly apply the law is what it boils down to, to not give preferential treatment or express bias in plain terms.

It says you'll administer the law in an impartial manner without regard to your personal feelings, doesn't it?

Yes, it does, Senator.

It says you will support and defend the Constitution,

doesn't it? Mm-hmm.

Um, pretty serious oath, isn't it?

It is.

Are you going to take that oath and affirm it if you're confirmed?

Yes.

You're not lying.

I'm not lying. I'm not lying. I took that oath before I began as a judge on the Seventh Circuit, and I have not violated that oath. And I would take it again, and oaths are serious to me.

Well, now, Senator Harris just called you a liar. She said that if you take that oath, you'll be lying. That you've already made up your mind how you're gonna vote on some cases, particularly dealing with abortion and the Affordable Care Act. Let's just cut to the chase.

She said you're a liar. Are you a liar?

I am not a liar, Senator Kennedy.

All right, I want you to tell me again. Look me in the eye. You're in front of God and country. If you take that oath, will you mean it?

I will mean it. If I take that oath, I will mean it.

You swear to God?

I swear to God, and I have sworn at the Seventh Circuit, and I meant it there, too.

You'll never break that oath?

I will not break that oath.

No matter what your personal feelings are?

No matter what my personal feelings. No matter what your religion is. No matter what my religion is. No matter what my personal feelings. No matter what your religion is. No matter what my religion is.

So when Sumster Harris and her colleagues say you're a liar, they're wrong. They are.