Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) appeared to take a shot at his fellow GOP Senate colleague Ted Cruz (TX) during Wednesday’s confirmation hearing for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, who has been nominated by President Joe Biden to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer on the Supreme Court.
As he was questioning Judge Jackson, Sasse noted that he didn’t think it would be a good idea to have cameras in the high court:
“A huge part of why this institution doesn’t work well is because we have cameras everywhere. Cameras change human behavior. We know this. … There’s a whole bunch of things humans can do if they’re not immediately mindful of some distant camera audience that they might be trying to create a soundbite for.
“I think we should recognize that the jackassery we often see around here is partly because of people mugging for short-term camera opportunities, and it is definitely a second and third and fourth order effect that the court should think through before it has advocates in there who are not only trying to persuade you nine justices, but also trying to get on cable that night or create a viral video.”
Though he didn’t call Cruz out by name, the Texas Republican immediately looked up from his cell phone and stared at Sasse, clearly thinking the jibe had been directed at him.
Sasse’s remarks set off a wave of speculation on Twitter, with overall agreement that the Nebraskan had taken a shot at Cruz.
If indeed Sasse was aiming his comment at Cruz, he was merely speaking the truth. Ted Cruz has always been and will always will be one of the biggest jackasses on the face of the planet.