Lipstadt defends Twitter record to Senate hearing

Pressed by Republicans at her Senate confirmation hearing regarding past tweets heavily criticizing GOP lawmakers, US President Joe Biden’s nominee for antisemitism envoy Deborah Lipstadt insists that she has called out antisemitism regardless of which side of the political aisle it has been identified

Lipstadt acknowledges that she should not tweet “in the middle of the night” and that her posts  “have sometimes not been as nuanced… as I like.”

However, she says that when viewed “holistically,” her record shows criticism of members of her own Democratic Party. She also argues that her criticisms never descended to personal attacks.

Republican Senator Ron Johnson does not accept the assertion, and insists that Lipstadt’s public criticism of him had crossed a line and disqualified her for the position of antisemitism special envoy.

Last March, Lipstadt tweeted an article about a statement Johnson made in which he said he would have been more concerned by the January 6 insurrection had the rioters been “Black Lives Matter and Antifa protesters” as opposed to Trump supporters.

Lipstadt wrote, “This is white supremacy/nationalism. Pure and simple.” Johnson says Lipstadt lobbed “malicious poison” at him and should have gotten to know him and his partnership with a Black pastor in Wisconsin before accusing him of being a white supremacist.

Lipstadt has apologized for the post. Johnson says he accepts the apology, but concludes his questioning by declaring that he cannot support her nomination and walks out of the hearing.