Adam Scott, Kathy Griffin, Alyssa Milano React as Brett Kavanaugh Inches Closer to Confirmation

By Nate Nickolai

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – The Senate voted to end the debate on the Kavanaugh hearing Friday morning, resulting in widespread protests and condemnations from celebrities and reporters across the political spectrum.

The confirmation vote will take place Saturday with what looks like a favorable vote for Kavanaugh, following senator Susan Collins’ announcement that she would be voting yes alongside Democratic senator Joe Manchin. Earlier in the day, Republican senator Lisa Murkowski announced that she would not be voting to confirm Kavanaugh.

Donald Trump was among the first to congratulate the Senate for advancing the Kavanaugh nomination; however, he was also quick to criticize protesters of the vote – and their signs – who have been active across Capitol Hill all morning. “The very rude elevator screamers are paid professionals only looking to make Senators look bad. Don’t fall for it! Also, look at all of the professionally made identical signs. Paid for by Soros and others. These are not signs made in the basement from love!” he tweeted.

“Top Chef” host Padma Lakshmi had a different reaction to Collins’ vote announcement. Lakshmi, who recently wrote an essay detailing her own experience with sexual assault, reminded her followers that Collins is up for re-election in 2020. She also criticized the GOP, tweeting “Do we really, as a nation, have to constantly protest electing a child-molester (Roy Moore) or a sexual abuser (Kavanaugh), both of whom Trump supports. Is this really the best you have @
GOP? Where are the moderates? Where are any of your spines? This is so goddamn embarrassing.”

Other celebrities also criticized Collins’ decision, including both Dustin Lance Black and Christian Spicer who have already pledged their support to any candidate who runs against Collins in 2020. “To all the women looking to run and take @
SenatorCollins seat from her, you have my support. 100%. Her legacy will be one only of hatred, supporting the grotesque, and one that helped set civil rights and rights of women back a generation. What a disgrace,” Spicer wrote.

Earlier in the day, celebrities had already taken to Twitter in an effort to convince congressmen not to vote in favor of Kavanaugh. Actor Adam Scott tweeted out the phone numbers for the senators that have yet to vote. “It’s far from over. No such thing as too many calls,” he wrote. “They work for you.”

Comedian Kathy Griffin was also outspoken about the upcoming confirmation vote tweeting, “If for some reason Collins joins Murkowski and votes NO and Manchin votes YES tomorrow….I’m gonna f—ing lose it. If a Democrat gets Kavanaugh conformed, I’m gonna f—ing lose it.”

Actress Alyssa Milano gave control of her Twitter account to the constituents of various senators in Congress, including Lisa Murkowski and Jeff Flake. In the videos, voters share their stories and implore the senators to vote no on the Kavanaugh confirmation.

See more reactions to the cloture vote below.