On Saturday afternoon, conservatives began tweeting out the #BeersForBrett hashtag following the U.S. Senate’s confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.
https://twitter.com/RealVinceJames/status/1048670656047370240
Kavanaugh was sworn in as the 114th Supreme Court Justice on Saturday night, but he faced a difficult confirmation process that became emblematic of the political and cultural divisiveness in American society.
Kavanaugh has been accused of sexually assaulting Dr. Christine Blasey Ford when the two were in high school and additionally has been accused of sexual misconduct by Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick. Kavanaugh and Blasey Ford appeared at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to discuss the allegations, which eventually caused the White House to reopen the FBI investigation into Kavanaugh.
Kavanaugh’s high school and college drinking habits became a major point of contention for Democrats and Republicans attempting to paint a picture of the judge during the time of the alleged assaults. Though Kavanaugh repeatedly stated that he never drank to the point of forgetting something, many of his Yale classmates disputed that characterization in the Washington Post, stating that he was, in fact, a frequent and heavy drinker. Other contemporaneous anecdotes painted Kavanaugh as a belligerent drinker, as well.
In his remarks at the Senate Judiciary Committee, Kavanaugh attempted to downplay his drinking habits but mentioned his fondness for beer 30 times.
Conservatives were quick to celebrate Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court with some cold ones. Featured brands included Miller Lite, Budweiser, and Coors.
https://twitter.com/nrob99/status/1048683706515378177
How I watched Brett Kavanaugh become a Supreme Court Justice pic.twitter.com/ur2S3suZZj
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) October 6, 2018
https://twitter.com/Rambobiggs/status/1048716581721837571
https://twitter.com/bastion_liberty/status/1048647860281987072
Some posts appeared to feature underage drinking.
https://twitter.com/readthebooks2/status/1048640670825664513
The College Republicans at the University of Washington posted a photo with the caption “Our Treasurer had his first beer today in honor of Brett Kavanaugh.”
https://www.facebook.com/CollegeRepublicansUW/posts/1838382192935422
Some posts veered into offensive territory, referencing sexual assault.
https://twitter.com/Bugsyvj/status/1046097056283201536
However, some people used the hashtag to criticize the privilege that has allowed Kavanaugh to ascend to the highest court despite multiple assault accusations, evident partisanship, and potential perjury.
Keep on using the #BeersForBrett hashtag, guys. It'll make your victims' accusations THAT much more credible.
— Bust A Mecond April Second (@tonygoldmark) October 7, 2018
#BeersForBrett isn’t about Brett #Kavanaugh. It isn’t a celebration of the man no one had ever heard of before this summer, and probably couldn’t give less of a shit about. It’s a celebration of the fact that men will continue to escape the consequences of their actions.
— Inspiration Strikes (@randominspo88) October 7, 2018
https://twitter.com/RhiChsan/status/1048769928936001537
#BeersForBrett congrats justice kavanaugh heres a brew on me pic.twitter.com/yE4wRvuFWZ
— Joel (@joelgoldstein75) October 7, 2018
— Andrew Kirell 🤙🏻 (@AndrewKirell) October 6, 2018