Washington (CNN) Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens suggested Thursday he believes Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh should not sit on the nation's highest court.

Stevens said during an event in front of a small crowd that Kavanaugh's performance last week during his testimony in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee caused him to change his mind about Kavanaugh's suitability for the court.

The retired Supreme Court justice said there is "merit" in the criticism that Kavanaugh "has demonstrated a potential bias involving enough potential (litigation) before the court that he would not be able to perform his full responsibilities."

"The senators should really pay attention to it for the good of the court," Stevens said. "It's not healthy to get a new justice that can only do a part-time job."

His comments were met by applause from the audience in Boca Raton, Florida. The Palm Beach Post first reported the comments.

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