WASHINGTON (Nexstar) — Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett lit up social media Tuesday when it was revealed that all of her answers came from memory; the notepad in front of her was blank.
During a confirmation hearing, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, asked Barrett what prepared material she had been referring to in answering questions posed to her by the 22 Senate Judiciary Committee members.
“You know most of us have multiple notebooks and notes and books and things like that in front of us. Can you hold up what you’ve been referring to in answering our questions?” Cornyn asked.
Barrett held up a blank notepad and smiled.
“Is there anything on it?” Cornyn asked
“The letterhead that says, ‘United States Senate,’” Barrett responded.
The moment came as senators from both sides questioned her judicial ideology. Democratic senators asked about her views on landmark abortion court case Roe v. Wade, among other issues such as health care and the election.
As Barrett answered, she referenced past precedent set by judges, court cases and legislation. All of those answers, apparently, came from her head.
People from both sides of the aisle were quick to capture the moment and write in their own words on the empty paper. The Kentucky Republicans wrote #FILLTHESEAT, the repeated battle cry for conservatives who want her to get confirmed before the election. Meanwhile, the Sierra Club, an environmental organization, wrote that her notepad should really say, “Delay this until the inauguration.”