In a notable recent exchange, Sen. Scott Wiener (D-CA) sparked a heated Twitter argument with Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), his former classmate from Harvard Law School. The disagreement erupted over Cruz’s objections to Third Circuit judicial nominee Adeel Mangi, keeping in discussion the future of the first-ever Muslim appellate judge, if confirmed.
According to Above The Law’s report on their contentious exchange, Wiener aimed a sharp barb at Cruz with a memorable quote: “Everyone thought [Cruz] was a major jackass.” This was supposedly a dig at Cruz’s popularity, or lack thereof, during their shared years at Harvard Law School.
This isn’t the first time that Cruz’s demeanor and reputation have come under fire from his peers. It was reportedly just as challenging to get along with Sen. Cruz during his law school days in the 90s as it is today.
This latest incident serves as yet another example of the polarizing discourse framing current judicial nominations, especially regarding diversity and representation within the higher judiciary.
This information was brought to light by Staci Zaretsky, a senior editor at Above the Law, who has been working there since 2011.