Senate tensions boiled over Thursday when Democrats stormed out of a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing after Republicans pushed forward two of Donald Trump’s controversial nominees — Emil Bove for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals and Jeanine Pirro for U.S. Attorney in Washington, D.C.
The walkout followed a heated exchange between Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA). Booker shouted over Grassley for nearly eight minutes, demanding a debate on Bove’s nomination — a request Grassley refused.
“You’re a decent man — why are you doing this?” Booker exclaimed. “What is Donald Trump saying to you that is making you violate the decorum of this committee? What are you afraid of?”
Despite the protest, Republicans on the committee advanced both nominations. Pirro, a former Fox News host and New York judge, and Bove, a Trump-aligned attorney, now head to the full Senate for confirmation votes.
Democrats have zeroed in on Bove in particular, citing allegations from a purported whistleblower that he pressured DOJ lawyers to defy a court order during Trump’s second term — allegedly to accelerate the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an undocumented immigrant.
The Justice Department has since opened an ethics investigation into former DOJ lawyer Erez Reuveni, whom Democrats have identified as the whistleblower. However, Republicans accuse Democrats of defending Abrego Garcia despite his alleged ties to MS-13, a history of domestic violence, and involvement in illegal labor trafficking.
If confirmed, Bove would hold a lifetime seat on the Third Circuit, which covers Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.
