Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein of California and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut dismissed President Trump’s criticisms of them following the contentious confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.
At a rally earlier this week, Trump encouraged a “lock her up” chant, referring to Feinstein. “I’m not going to comment on that,” Feinstein said Thursday.
Angered by Blumenthal's opposition to Kavanaugh, Trump claimed the senator went around making up grand war stories of his service during the Vietnam War.
Blumenthal waved off Trump’s comments, saying “there he goes again.”
“I’m not going to comment on his personal attacks, which are so ludicrous and false that they’re not worth even addressing,” said Blumenthal.
But Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, took aim at Trump during the Senate Judiciary Committee meeting Thursday on judicial nominees. Hirono was praised by liberals throughout Kavnaugh's confirmation for her defense of Christine Blasey Ford, one of the women accusing the judge of sexual assault.
“The continued condemnation of our ranking member here and by the president is uncalled for and wrong,” Hirono said, defending Feinstein, who serves as ranking member on the committee. “We should be a lot more concerned about the president’s ugly encouragement at his rallies of the so very tired chant of ‘lock her up.’”
Hirono called it the “richest of ironies” for Trump to refer to protesters during the Kavanaugh confirmation as a “mob,” adding that he “dangerously underestimates what this confirmation process awakened."
“He’s been mocking [Feinstein] so I call him the mocker-in-chief now,” Hirono told the Washington Examiner after Thursday’s meeting. “He’s mocked disabled people, he mocked Dr. Ford, he mocked Dianne Feinstein, he just attacks anybody who doesn’t agree with him.”
“We should condemn his behavior, his mocking behavior, but this has been going on for quite a while now,” Hirono added.