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Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions is President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to become the next United States Attorney General. This, despite the fact that members of Congress in the 1980s determined he was too racist to become a federal judge. What has changed in the 30 years since Ronald Regan nominated Sessions for the bench? It seems he has come to enjoy eating at Dairy Queen and Johnny Rockets with William Smith, former chief counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee. Smith happens to be African-American.
Smith offered testimony at Sessions’ confirmation hearing on Wednesday, praising his former boss’ character and noting the two have shared meals at both restaurant chains. He even knows what the senator likes to order: “We’ve eaten Johnny Rockets burgers together,” Smith revealed. “I’ve watched him order a Heath Blizzard at Dairy Queen — quote, ‘heavy on the Heath.’” Well, if Sessions goes big on his Heath Blizzards, how can he be racist? Believe it or not, some people aren’t convinced.
Jokers testified that they've dined with Jeff Sessions at Dairy Queen & Johnny Rockets. As if Blizzards & burgers negate him being racist.
— Angry Man (@AngryBlkManDC) January 11, 2017
Yay! Jeff Sessions is gonna be GREAT for me as a brown gay person from a poor community because we both LOVE Dairy Queen...
— Xorje Olivares (@XorjeO) January 11, 2017
The good thing about William Smith's testimony is that Jeff Sessions handled that Dairy Queen situation much better than Bo Bice would.
— Harvey King of Shade (@bodysculptorokc) January 11, 2017
It's insulting that Rep. John Lewis has to hear someone talk about Jeff Sessions enjoying Dairy Queen.
— Ashley (@ashcech) January 11, 2017
Wait, I think Jeff Sessions just pulled an IRL "some of my best friend's are black" proxy in his confirmation hearing via Dairy Queen
— Peter Macia (@petemacia) January 11, 2017
Smith said most people who are attacking Sessions’ character “haven’t spent 30 minutes in the same room with him,” and he’s defended the senator’s views on race multiple times in recent days. However, Sessions’ last confirmation hearing told a different story. One Justice Department employee testified that Sessions labeled the ACLU and NAACP as “un-American” and “Communist-inspired” organizations that “forced civil rights down the throats of people,” according to the New Republic. In 1985, Sessions failed to convict three civil rights workers on charges of voter fraud. His investigation into African-American absentee voters found a mere 14 ballots from the 1984 election that were allegedly tampered — out of 1.7 million.
But, hey, Jeff Sessions is a big fan of that Heath Blizzard. Maybe he can help James Crichton, a Dairy Queen franchisee who is in the process of losing his location following a racist tirade, pick up another store.
• Donald Trump Nominates Jeff Sessions to Serve as Attorney General [Vox]
• Watch Live: Day 2 of Sen. Jeff Sessions Confirmation Hearing [PBS/YouTube]
• Closed Sessions [New Republic]
