It’s fairly safe to say that President Biden’s Supreme Court nominee, Ketanji Brown Jackson, is all but certain to be confirmed for the very reason she was selected, making her confirmation hearings before the Senate’s Judiciary Committee a matter of formality that allows politicians to grandstand.
However, one particular exchange showcased Jackson’s progressive mindset better than most.
While being questioned by Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., who was questioning the left-wing jurist on transgender issues, Jackson refused the very simple request of defining what a “woman” is.
First asked if she agreed that schools should teach children that they can choose their gender, Jackson stated, “Senator, I’m not making comments about what schools can teach.”
Citing Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s majority opinion in the case that struck down Virginia Military Institute’s male-only admissions policy, Blackburn asked, “Do you agree with Justice Ginsburg that there are physical differences between men and women that are enduring?”
Jackson dodged the question, saying she was “not familiar with that particular quote or case, so it’s hard for me to comment,” which prompted the GOP senator to follow up, “Can you provide a definition for the word ‘woman?’”
“Can I provide a definition? No,” Jackson responded. “I can’t.”
Sen. @MarshaBlackburn: “Can you provide a definition for the word ‘woman’?”
Judge Jackson: “Can I provide a definition? No. I can’t.” pic.twitter.com/7sxWCvM2xB
— CSPAN (@cspan) March 23, 2022
“You can’t?” Blackburn asked.
“Not in this context, I’m not a biologist,” the nominee replied.
“Do you believe the meaning of the word woman is so unclear and controversial that you can’t give me a definition?” Blackburn pressed.
“Senator, in my work as a judge, what I do is I address disputes. If there’s a dispute about a definition, people make arguments, and I look at the law, and I decide,” Jackson said.
Blackburn summarized the surprising exchange by noting, “The fact that you can’t give me a straight answer about something as fundamental as what a woman is, underscores the dangers of the kind of progressive education that we are hearing about.”
Here’s a quick sampling of responses to the story from Twitter:
Someone in the highest court of law can’t answer a question that a 3 year old can is definitely concerning. How did we get to this point? Truth should supersede politics.
— stainsNgains (@stainsNgains) March 23, 2022
This is actually a good question for a SC justice. And her answer is so on spot.
A case will reach SC .. It’s just a matter of when.— SriTal (@SrikanthTalagad) March 23, 2022
In response to a Supreme Court nominee saying that she can’t define the word “woman.” So, yeah. https://t.co/DVtK8AMqC3
— Arthur Schwartz (@ArthurSchwartz) March 23, 2022
When I decided to have children with my wife, I lucked out that she was a woman. I had no clear way to otherwise know that she was a woman. This person is going to be a justice for the next 30-40 years. Good luck.
— Gad Saad (@GadSaad) March 23, 2022
The correct answer is for Jackson to just say “Me, I’m a woman” but she didn’t. This is legit bizarre https://t.co/Pe1XvUE8Iy
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) March 23, 2022
How do you adjudicate Title VII claims without being able to to answer this question? Title IX? https://t.co/VicNi0Yrjj
— Harmeet K. Dhillon (@pnjaban) March 23, 2022
You don’t have to be a biologist to know what a woman is. https://t.co/7h9fCSBSbu
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) March 23, 2022
Here’s @MarshaBlackburn asking KBJ if she can define the word woman. KBJ says she can’t. This is how broken the “party of science” is. They are so obsessed with transgenderism that they can’t even say what a woman is. pic.twitter.com/zdj2OkqppI
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) March 23, 2022
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Tom Tillison grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills. Tillison also contributes to BizPac Review.
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