Slate Magazine faced backlash after publishing an article Sunday calling Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett a “shameless, cynical careerist.”
The Senate held its first day of confirmation hearings for Barrett Monday after President Donald Trump nominated her in September. Slate’s politics editor Tom Scocca slammed her just before the hearings began as being ” bent on making herself one of the nine most powerful judges in the country, even if she has to do it in the most graspingly partisan and destructive way possible.”
“‘I will be mindful of who came before me,’ Barrett said—but not so mindful as to acknowledge, let alone respect, Ginsburg’s direct dying wish that the seat stay vacant until a newly elected president could fill it,” the Slate article reads.
“The words fit the deed. When Brett Kavanaugh was nominated to the Supreme Court, he used his introductory remarks to praise Trump for having put more thought and effort into the selection than any previous president had,” it continued. “It was absurd to claim Trump had done any such thing; Kavanaugh was merely pledging loyalty, demonstrating that he is a ridiculous liar and a toady. In the same vein, by bringing up Ginsburg, Barrett established who she is: a shameless, cynical careerist who believes nobody can stop her.”
The article received backlash upon being posted to Twitter, where many accused the publication of slamming Barrett because she is a female with a career and a family.
“Those freaking women who have the nerve to have a career AND be a mother, amirite Slate?” Lauren Chen, a Blaze TV host and editor at Evie Magazine, tweeted.
Barrett has established who she is: a shameless careerist who believes nobody can stop her. https://t.co/0EffANIGGK
— Slate (@Slate) October 12, 2020
“Day 1 of the confirmation hearings and Slate has already gone full sexist…” White House communications director Alyssa Farah tweeted. (RELATED: ‘Nothing Nefarious’: Ben Sasse Criticizes Story On Amy Coney Barrett’s Law School Housing)
Katie Pavlich, an editor at Townhall, pointed out that the article is written by “a man,” calling the headline “absurd.” Slate titled its article “Amy Coney Barrett Is as Cynical as Trump.”
Others pointed out that the article loosely describes Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s running mate Kamala Harris – who is a stepmom with a career in politics.
“Making legitimate critiques of Kamala Harris during last week’s VP debate was “sexist,” but this is totally okay…” The Hill reporter Kristin B. Tate wrote.
✍????nominated✍????for✍????the✍????List✍???? https://t.co/CBa1RJebkk pic.twitter.com/nJAkpy1MG3
— Siraj Hashmi (@SirajAHashmi) October 12, 2020
“This is super sexist,” Steven Beynon, a reporter at Stars and Stripes, declared.