Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) released a video on Monday showing two women confronting him at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Virginia about the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. The airport is a 10-minute drive from Washington.
Graham is chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and is presiding over the confirmation process. He’s been a staunch ally of President Donald Trump and is a certain vote to put Barrett on the court.
In the video, which appears to have been recorded by one of Graham’s staff, the senator asks the women where they’re from and says he will confirm Barrett to the court.
“I arrived in DC today & was confronted by 2 women – one of whom was from Seattle – who called Judge Amy Coney Barrett a racist & unqualified,” Graham tweeted.
“This is the modern left, hostile & unhinged. I won’t be intimidated. I can’t wait to #FillTheSeat.”
“STAND WITH ME,” Graham wrote and included a link to donate to his re-election campaign.
Graham has made several appeals for funds since finding himself in a surprisingly close race with Democrat Jaime Harrison, who has raised a record-breaking sum as he seeks to unseat the incumbent.
In the video, a woman wearing a mask approaches Graham and appears to be recording him with her phone. She says “Look me in the eye…”
“Where are you from?” Graham asks. The woman replies that she’s from Seattle, and continues to speak before another woman can be heard asking: “Why does it matter where she’s from? She’s American.”
“I believe Seattle’s a good example of how things are getting out of control,” Graham says.
“No, Seattle is wonderful,” the first woman says, while the second woman tells Graham: “Sir, you’re an example of how things are getting out of control, sir.”
Graham and his staff walk away from the women, who follow them up as they head upstairs.
“You work for me, sir,” the woman goes on. “I pay your salary, sir.”
At that point, Graham turns to the woman and asks: “Where are you from?”
“It doesn’t matter where I’m from,” she says. “I’m from the United States of America, sir, where are you from?”
“I’m just off the plane,” Graham says.
“You sure are,” the woman says. “And you’re gonna make my children, my daughter, who stood on the shoulders of giants, you’re gonna take their rights away, by voting for this woman [Barrett] who’s a racist?”
The woman is referring to the possibility that Barrett would deliver the crucial vote to overturn the landmark abortion ruling Roe v. Wade. There is no evidence Barrett is racist but there have been criticisms of her decision not to say whether racism is systemic.
“Well I’m enthusiastically gonna support Judge Barrett,” Graham says as one of the women tries to argue about women’s rights. The other speaks over her, asking him “Why?”
“Because she’s highly qualified,” Graham says. The woman replies “She’s not” and the video ends. At least one of the women may have been filming the exchange and it’s possible further video will emerge.
Mandel Ngan-Pool/Getty Images