Retiring Utah Senator Orrin Hatch is an unlikeable old man.
That’s not necessarily news, so we may have to chalk up the beginning of this article to “analysis” or “opinion” or just maybe common sense. But he’s been elected 7 times by his constituents, and that can largely be attributed to the loyalty of Utahns. His 42 years in the Senate makes him the longest-serving Republican in the history of the institution, and with his age, he apparently has only gotten more Republican than ever.
In fact, the true colors of the entire GOP have been showing during the confirmation process for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh: Do they still vote their consciences, or do they keep pushing for a tainted nominee who is now proven to have at least lied under oath on multiple occasions, and possibly sexually assaulted multiple women.
So far it looks like they’re all choosing the latter.
But in the course of this controversial and revelatory process, many Republicans have had to come face to face with survivors other than one they can badger and cajole using the power of the Senate hall. Senator Jeff Flake was cornered in an elevator, Mitch McConnell was confronted on the way to his car, and David Perdue his out inside the men’s room of an airport to get away from big, bad, scary women who he didn’t want to listen to.
Orrin Hatch is not those men, though. Orrin Hatch will tell a woman off no matter who she is, no matter what she’s saying. That’s exactly what he did in this video that activists captured of him dismissing sexual assault survivors, waving his hand at them derisively and telling them,
When you grow up, I’ll be ready. Shoo!”
Yes, he actually said “shoo” to grown women as he escaped behind his staffers, who threatened to have the women arrested.
He may be on his way out of the Senate after 42 long years, but the stain he will leave on it will live forever.
Featured image via screen capture
