The former US ambassador to Germany under President Trump, Richard Grenell, is among those on the right not celebrating the confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court.
Jackson made history yesterday when she became the first Black woman appointed to the highest court in the US. Senators voted 53-47 on Jackson’s confirmation.
In January, President Joe Biden pledged to nominate a Black woman to replace retiring US Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. No Black woman has served as a justice on the Supreme Court before, and Biden called it, “long overdue.”
Grenell, who is gay and an ardent supporter of Donald Trump, took umbrage with Biden’s nomination.
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“There will be one seat on the Supreme Court with an asterisk – because not every American was considered to fill it,” he tweeted last night. “Hispanics, Asians, Whites, gays and men were not even considered. This is a terrible precedent.”
There will be one seat on the Supreme Court with an asterisk – because not every American was considered to fill it.
Hispanics, Asians, Whites, gays and men were not even considered.
This is a terrible precedent.
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) April 7, 2022
Related: Richard Grenell demands White House press secretary “apologize to the gay community”
Many online thought Grenell’s analysis ridiculous.
There’s currently a Black man, an Hispanic woman, a White woman, and White men on the bench. Having a Black woman is a step toward a better representation of American society.
— David Moyer (@moyer_david) April 7, 2022
Fact: Since the Supreme Court was established in 1789, 114 justices have served on the bench.
Of those, 108 have been White men.Fiction: Your argument.
— Regina Mack (@ReginaMcMullen7) April 7, 2022
For a hundred and fifty odd years every president discriminated, so when you start adding asterixes be sure you start at the beginning.
— Lost in Disturbia (@JonWilsonAuthor) April 8, 2022
No, the terrible precedent was that non white people were excluded from participating in the institutions necessary to establish a legal career, and even when they beat the odds to do so, were never considered to serve in these roles. Don’t get it twisted.
— Garrick Dabbs (@gd_money) April 8, 2022
So every Judge up until Sandra Day-O’Conner should have an asterisk because not every American was considered for the position.
— James Bradley (@jbradmayo68) April 7, 2022
Right? I mean, when will men finally be considered for the Supreme Court?
— Sixpack Chopra (@DiddlyMcGhee) April 7, 2022
You mean all the previous seats will have an asterisk because until now not every American was considered to fill them.
— ♥️🇺🇦🌻 (@jamesdena) April 8, 2022
One of those to comment used a clown emoji to describe Grenell. This prompted Grenell to respond by saying “homophobia has no place in America.”
Homophobia has no place in America.
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) April 8, 2022
Civil rights lawyer Sherrilyn Ifill was among those to criticize Grenell, saying, “Pls. Then asterisk every Justice before Justices Brandeis,Thurgood Marshall and Sandra Day O’Connor. Because neither Jews, Blacks nor women were part of the nominee pool before they were selected. (Ok Nixon briefly considered Judge Mildred Lillie before picking Justice Powell).”
Grenell was having none of it, accusing Ifill of defending racism and sexism. He argued it was different because, before Biden, “No one ever announced they wouldn’t be considering Asians, Hispanics and men. It’s disgusting bias.”
No one ever announced they wouldn’t be considering Asians, Hispanics and men.
It’s disgusting bias. Stop defending racism and sexism. https://t.co/mftDUJ252g
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) April 8, 2022
He then got into a Twitter spat with Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA), after the congressman tweeted, “Apparently @RichardGrenell believes that prior to President Biden, every Asian American, every gay person and every Black female was considered for Supreme Court openings and not a single one of them throughout US history was ever qualified. That’s bullshit and it’s demeaning.”
In a follow-up tweet to Grenell, Lieu said, “What about the fact that minorities were historically excluded from Supreme Court openings? Do you actually believe not a single Asian American, gay or Black female prior to Biden was qualified? What about that? Why won’t you answer the real question?”
Grenell shot back, “No President has ever vocally excluded Asians, Hispanics and men for the Court. Stop defending this horrific precedent of intolerance. Shame on you for supporting racism and sexism.”
No President has ever vocally excluded Asians, Hispanics and men for the Court.
Stop defending this horrific precedent of intolerance. Shame on you for supporting racism and sexism. https://t.co/PSxGOckig3
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) April 8, 2022
Grenell then twisted Lieu’s argument as an attack by the California congressman on Presidents Obama and Clinton. He capitalized the first three letters of Lieu’s name to push the point: “Ted LIEu attacks @BarackObama and Bill Clinton as racists and homophobes.”
Ted LIEu attacks @BarackObama and Bill Clinton as racists and homophobes. https://t.co/kWyDpbYkXZ
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) April 8, 2022
In a parting shot, he went on to blame Lieu for helping to start the war in Ukraine, before swerving, as so many on the far-right do, off on a tangent about Hunter Biden.
Ted LIEu spent years delivering the Beijing line that Hunter Biden’s laptop was Russian disinformation.
China celebrated his lies. @tedlieu
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) April 8, 2022
It seems Grenell and Lieu have a long history of Twitter spats, going back at least to Grenell’s roles in the Trump administration.
Related: Richard Grenell slams corporates for giving money to advocacy group HRC
After his run as US Ambassador to Germany, Grenell served as Acting Director of National Intelligence in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet in 2020. He was the first openly gay person to serve at a Cabinet-level, albeit in an acting capacity and without Senate confirmation.
He was then Special Presidential Envoy for Serbia and Kosovo Peace Negotiations from 2019 to 2021 and has advised the Republican National Convention on its outreach to LGBTQ voters. He is a big supporter of the Log Cabin Republicans, who rewarded him with its Game Changer Award in 2021.
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is expected to be sworn in as a justice to the Supreme Court in late June or early July.
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charlietex
His God, indicted former president Dump announced that he would only consider a woman justice to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Why didn’t anyone bring this up since it’s exactly what he is bitching about? I would do it myself but I’m not on Twitter.
JackM
How does he know we’ve never had an LGBTQ person on the Supreme Court? Plus, any gay man who supports Donald Trump knows nothing about the concept of inclusion. He thinks the GOP has given him a seat at the table, but I guarantee you, when he sits down he’ll find his plate is empty.
maddog
Actually, when he tries to sit down he will find the chair pulled out from under him.
stafcoyote
Actually, he would be denied entry to the room where the table is, by evangelical Nonconformist Protestant “Christians.”
jcool
president biden promised to nominate an african-american woman to the supreme court. he did not promise she would be straight. nice try. total fail.
Kangol2
A far simpler question is this: Why didn’t Grenell, a GQP lapdog, urge his beloved Don the Con to nominate a gay person to the court? Did he speak up?
Instead, his beloved Don the Con nominated nominated two White men and a White woman, all three of whom are straight. Did Grenell protest? Don the Con also nominaed COUNTLESS anti-LGBTQ judges to the federal courts. Did Grenell speak up then?
Grenell’s bootlicking @ss should STFU!
GayVeteranOfcr
Mr. Grenell,
were any gays the most outstanding potential nominees, they might have been considered.
You were appointed by former President Trump simply because you supported him above everything else.
End of your qualifications for office.
dbmcvey
Grenell is a hypocrite. Only white women were considered for Amy Comy Barrett and only white men were considered for Kavanaugh and Gorsuch but he wasn’t whining about that.
GrizzleyMichael
I thought Amy Comy Barrett was against women working and should be in the kitchen cooking dinner for her husband. Well that bitch isn’t doing her duties as a faithful wife.
LMG
Richard Grenell makes me puke. He needs conversion therapy so we can be rid of him (lol). Why doesn’t he complain when Bitch McConnell just said that he would not confirm any would be appointee to the SC if the Repooplicans take the Senate and Biden is still President. Talk about advance announcements. Trump promised many things when running. He then sh!t all over this country and allowed hundreds of thousands to die by giving stupid information regarding how to treat COVID-19. In fact Trump was so stupid he asked what the 19 stood for. Everyone knows that is Trump’s IQ. Grenell needs a helping of bleach and Lysol.
msfwdc5
Why do you waste time on this self-loathing, homophobic piece of MAGA-T trash???? He’s scum.
James
I agree. Too much attention on losers like Grenell who if they had their way there would be no visibility for anyone other than nazis.
Brian
“No president has every vocally excluded….” is such a ridiculous claim to make. Maybe the first 10 presidents didn’t “vocally” exclude black people for Supreme Court jobs, but there’s no question that the anti-black rule existed. To say “no” one “ever” in the entire history of the country recommended people based on race or sex is absurd. His claims are the opposite of reality.
How do people get this stupid? Is it a learning disability? Is it brainwashing? His stupidity almost rises to the point of mental illness. There are congenitally mentally handicapped people with a better grasp on the world.
Kangol2
First ten? Let’s try the first 35! Not all were racist but some, like Thomas Jefferson and Woodrow Wilson, were White supremacists, while others, like Benjamin Harrison, actually advocated for more rights for Black people. Nevertheless, we didn’t have a non-White Supreme Court nominee, let alone Justice, until Thurgood Marshall was nominated by Lyndon Johnson (who was known to be racist, yet still saw Marshall’s excellence) and Marshall, a brilliant trial lawyer, was subjected to outrageous questioning by idiot segregationists like Strom Thurmond, etc. We didn’t have another non-White person nominated until George H. W. Bush. You are very right about Grenell’s nonsense, though.
justyouandi
Merit should be the only consideration for a SCOTUS nominee. Race, gender, or sexual orientation should have no place in determining who is best suited to follow the Constitution. During most of our country’s history only white men had the education and experience to be a justice, but in recent decades that has changed. Brown-Jackson has ruled more as an activist than as an impartial judge, so there is good reason to question her suitability for this position.
Thad
Then why haven’t we had a black female Supreme Court justice before?
And “activist judge.” Woooh. Hardly.
LeBlevsez
justyou –
It has been a century-and-a-half since the first Black lawyer argued a case before the Supreme Court. That was the 1800s, in case your understanding of numbers is as lacking as your interest in history. Several Supreme Court Justices never attended law school, and one, James F. Byrnes didn’t attend high school, let alone college or law school. And every single Justice that lacked the education which you require was a white man.
Maybe you should know a little something before you opine.
barryaksarben
LIttle Dick Grennel who cries after he comes with a guy is such a sick pos. Hey Dick Trump will NEVER let you duck his little mushroom dick so move on. NO ONE wants your opinion. PROUD GAY MEN certainly dont listen to your self hating bullshit. You would have been the first one to attack a gay nominee and we all know it. I hat to tell you but there have probably been a few gay justices but you may not know this but gay people have been discriminated against alot like black women or asians or alot of other groups who have never had a nominee since the entitled white men of this country hav not allowed it until recent history. STFU you pathetic self hating Kunt. we dont care what you think. NONE OF US CARE ABOUT YOU. Go buy another boyfriend since we know you are unable to maintain a healthy gay relationship.
twomen4u
What is wrong with this idiot? I do not believe there is one individual out there that will fit what he wants. We have a gay man with a husband and family serving as the Sec of Transportation. Just because he was not considered (isn’t that the reason for his bit….) he whines and acts like the spoiled brat he is. He has been in the shadow of the disgraced twice impeached fuehrer too long. Perhaps if he was in the real world he might have a different opinion.
Mack
I don’t know what Grenell is mad about, he’s a gay acting like an anti-gay 99% of the time.
Peter
I had to read his comment several times because I couldn’t believe he said something that stupid. Yes, gay men and women have a unique perspective they can bring to the Court that straight white men do not, but so do Black women — moreso, arguably. There was one seat available, and Biden chose an overqualified candidate who deserves the appointment. Unlike you, Mr. Grenell, who accepted an appointment from the most unqualified, racist, homophobic traitor to the Constitution who’s ever set foot in the White House. So now you are forever associated with donald trump. Speaks volumes about your integrity.
Fahd
Unlike the incredible hypocrisy of Bush the elder who stood on his lawn in Kennebunkport and with a straight face insisted that Clarence Thomas was the most qualified candidate available, Biden said before he WON the election that if given the opportunity that he was going to appoint an African American woman, and he found one who is more than qualified and no doubt will be exemplary in the office as she has been in everything else.
Grenell embarrassed the U.S. as Ambassador to Germany; it’s a wonder they put up with him.
Jenner, Grenell, Dash, Christian Walker and so on; Queerty likes to focus on the negative celebrities who diminish the LGBTQ community.
inbama
Why not?
It gives us all a chance to publicly acknowledge our moral and intellectual superiority.
I don’t always agree with the majority, but in this case, yes.
Jaquelope
Shouldn’t we know about our enemies and what they are doing? Maybe that’s the problem here. Without some kind of word being spread about those who want to diminish us we let things; very important things that affect us slip by. Knowledge is power, and that is what we need – knowledge.
dale hankins
Grenell just needs to turn in his “gay” card and crawl on hands and knees to Mar-a-Lago and his idol, trumplestiltskin and drink some more of the kool-aid
Dannyzackery
You do know his point is Biden was showing baseness instead of choosing from the best.
Jaquelope
And she isn’t one of the best? Her record seems to indicate she is.
Consider This
Not especially fond of Grenell, but he DOES have a very valid point. I agree with him.
PolishBear
I wonder what he thought when Ronald Reagan said that if he got to make a SCOTUS nomination, it would be a woman. Yeah, it’s true. With one pronouncement, Reagan discriminated against HALF of the American population. Funny, I didn’t hear a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth THEN.
alex1435
He’s a blithering idiot !
Kangol2
He’s not just an idiot but, as his former Don the Con administration colleague Olivia Troye just confirmed, he tried to get Mike Pence to speak at a White supremacist gathering. Pence, to his credit, refused to do so. Grenell is not only a moron and Con lover but a racist skumb@g too!
jt1990
I’m shocked no gays were considered under the current ‘dieversity’ administration. Homosexuals are the judgiest people out there, next to Christian conservatives. (I say that as someone who votes Republican!)
CNY1983
behind all the botox, fillers, fake teeth and hair plugs i get the feeling that deep down, he doesnt like himself very much.
Josh in OR
Who wants to take bets that, had she been a lesbian, he STILL would have complained that she wasn’t another old, straight white person with ties to the Federalist Society?
BaltoSteve
I guess it’s true. When you are a lapdog, you learn to bay on command.
TxCudlr
Please answer me this. Did u even bother to send ur sniveling, bitching, rants to trump the 3 times that he slithered a Supreme Court justice each time?????? Something tells me that “U” didn’t say a DAM thing to tramp about all this!!!!! And “HE’S” the BIGGEST racist & homophobe out there. I suggest that u pull ur head out of that nasty thing that u call ur butt, get acquainted with the news & send ur rants to the appropriate people.