Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana, known for his sharp and often humorous remarks, grilled a Biden nominee for the US District Court over his “radical positions” on Black Lives Matter and illegal immigration. During a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing, Kennedy questioned Benjamin Cheeks, a criminal defense lawyer and US Magistrate judge, about his past writings and statements.
Kennedy pointed out that Cheeks had earlier claimed he tries not to take positions on controversial issues, to which Cheeks responded that he avoids taking positions in most of his articles.
However, Kennedy went on to quote from Cheeks’ articles, including one where he stated, “There can be no question that police officers, not some police, all police officers have some of these same internal or external biases described above.” Kennedy asked Cheeks if he stood by that statement, and Cheeks acknowledged that he did.
Kennedy also brought up an article written by Cheeks in 2018 on illegal immigration, where he stated that those who broke the law “deserve a pass from prosecution.” Kennedy noted that this was a clear position on illegal immigration, to which Cheeks stated that he no longer holds such views since he became a sitting magistrate judge.
Kennedy then questioned Cheeks if it was acceptable to lie when one is an advocate, to which Cheeks claimed he did not understand the question. Kennedy responded by saying, “You’ve taken a lot of radical positions judge and you can’t make this cat walk backwards.”
This exchange between Kennedy and Cheeks highlights the radical views held by some individuals who have been nominated by President Biden for important positions. It also brings to light the difference in opinions between conservative and liberal justices, with Kennedy standing firm on his beliefs and values.
The liberal media has been quick to criticize Kennedy’s line of questioning, painting it as an attack on Cheeks’ character. However, as seen in the transcripts, Kennedy was simply trying to get a clear understanding of Cheeks’ stance on important issues that could potentially affect his decisions as a federal judge.