Senator Dianne Feinstein's Hug Has Sparked Outrage On Twitter

In what could have been a moment of bipartisanship, and a demonstration that while we may not always agree yet can still work together, has created a firestorm on social media. Progressives have taken to Twitter to express their absolute outrage that Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) would dare praise her Republican colleague, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, and then embrace him a friendly hug!

C-Span (@cspan) was among the first to comment on Twitter with just the facts, "Senator @LindseyGrahamSC and @SenFeinstein shake hands and hug after the #SCOTUShearings conclude."

Hug It Out

This seemingly harmless act of camaraderie among long-serving colleagues, which took place at the end of the Senate Judiciary Committee's confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, was met with liberal activists, left-leaning pundits and others calling the moment all-but treasonous. The Hill reported Demand Justice, an advocacy group that has staunchly opposed President Trump's effort to fill the judiciary with conservative nominees was among the first to issue a statement that called for Feinstein to resign from the committee!

"It's time for Sen. Feinstein to step down from her leadership position on the Senate Judiciary Committee. If she won't, her colleagues need to intervene," Brian Fallon, the executive director of Demand Justice, said in a statement circulated about an hour after Barrett's confirmation hearing ended.

Then the tweets began, and they were anything but kind.

Slate's Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC), expressed general outrage in a tweet on Thursday evening, "I really can't get over what a betrayal this moment was to the thousands (millions?) of progressive activists who have worked their asses off fighting Barrett's confirmation tooth and nail. Feinstein should be ashamed, and she should step down immediately."

Stern added, "If Biden wins, he should offer Dianne Feinstein whatever position is necessary to get her out of the Senate. Ambassador? A cabinet secretary? Some regulatory czar? Literally anything to open up that seat. Feinstein is disastrously, jaw-droppingly bad at this. What a nightmare."

Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) took to Twitter to suggest, "It's time for Dianne Feinstein to step down. You can respect her service, but she's done Democrats a huge disservice and proven ill-equipped to handle the GOP degradation of our judicial system."

Another user was far more blunt with @kellyvhalen tweeting, "Dianne Feinstein needs to step down. Watching her hug Lindsay Graham was a f***ing punch in the gut for so many reasons, and I’m hardly the only one. California, y'all need to start letting her know."

The official Twitter account for Slate (@Slate) offered this simple thought, "If you want to know how the Barrett hearings went for Democrats, consider this hug."

Backlash To The Backlash

Of course the response to the tweets was just as swift. Among those leading the charge was Fox News Channel's Sean Hannity (@seanhannity), who tweeted, "BACKLASH! Dem Groups Demands Feinstein 'Removed from Committee' After Hugging Lindsey Graham."

Others came to the defense of the 87-year-old California Senator.

Greg Raths (@GregRaths), who is a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives (CA-45), stated the issue directly, tweeting "Democrats have become so partisan they attack one of their own over a hug?"

Maryland State Senator Jason C. Gallion (@SenatorGallion), a Republican from the 35th district, also offered his thoughts on the deep divide in the nation, "What a shame that people on the far left even oppose hugging a GOP colleague. Let's get back to a time where you can disagree on policy and still show kindness to those you disagree with. Feinstein's hug of Lindsey Graham sparks outrage on the left."

There was some humor found in the moment as well – noted by Genny Aversano (@gennyaversano), who tweeted, "Find someone who looks at you the way Dianne Feinstein looks at Lindsey Graham."