TAPPER: “Ashley, I want to start with you because Republican Senator Lindsey Graham today posted on Twitter, or X: ‘I fear the process surrounding the Gaetz nomination is turning into an angry mob. I would urge all of my Senate colleagues, particularly Republicans, not to join the lynch mob and give the process a chance to move forward. After years of being investigated by the Department of Justice, no charges were brought against Matt Gaetz. This is something we should all remember.’ Now, I’m going to ask you just to move, let’s just put the lynch mob metaphor to the side for a second, as distasteful as that might be. What do you think about the idea of just letting the nomination process go forward?”

ETIENNE: “I mean, I think that’s what Democrats would argue as well. Like, let’s, you know, let’s air as much of this out and let’s spend as much time from hearings to floor debate about these particular candidate — these particular nominees because they want Donald Trump and the Republicans, especially those vulnerables, vulnerable ones like Collins, Murkowski to defend this guy. I mean, how do you defend allegations that you’re having sex with minors? I mean, the young lady’s lawyer was just on CNN, I think it was yesterday, talking about what she testified to. So I just find it deplorable that Lindsey Graham and some Republicans would say we should just move past, this is another day in America, when we’re talking about the most egregious allegations one could — one could have against you. The other point, I would say, the problem for Democrats is this argument about violating women should be a disqualifier, I think is going to fall flat on Republicans. I mean, you’ve got a situation where the head of their party is found liable for sexual assault against a woman. You’re going to have to — I mean, regrettably, find another argument because, you know, they weren’t published — punished in this last election for their contempt against women. I can’t, listening to Lindsey Graham and others, I can’t imagine, they clearly don’t find this stuff egregious and offensive. So anyway, so say all that to say that I think they’re going to have to find some other argument, maybe that he’s not qualified for the position because Republicans clearly don’t care about the rights of women.”