Two men wearing Klu Klux Klan costumes were removed from the confirmation hearing for Jeff Sessions, Donald Trump‘s pick for attorney general, after they caused a disruption.
As security took them out of the room, they yelled, “you can’t arrest me, I am white!” and “white people own this government!”
WATCH: NAACP, American Civil Liberties Union oppose Session for U.S. attorney general
Civil liberties advocates have seized on Sessions’ voting record and his appearances before groups that espouse harsh views on Muslims and immigrants. He was rejected for a federal judgeship by the Senate Judiciary Committee 30 years ago amid accusations of racial insensitivity.
READ MORE: Donald Trump’s attorney general pick Jeff Sessions brings racially charged past to light
In a prepared opening statement, Sessions says he understands “the history of civil rights and the horrendous impact that relentless and systemic discrimination and the denial of voting rights has had on our African-American brothers and sisters.”
WATCH: The first confirmation hearings for President-Elect Donald Trump’s new administration are underway. But as Jackson Proskow reports, Trump’s choices are proving controversial.
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