Menashi sparked a bipartisan backlash during a confirmation hearing last week when he sidestepped directly answering questions from senators, including on his work for the Trump administration.

Kennedy warned Menashi during the hearing , as he tried to get him to weigh in on a hypothetical, that "I don't want you dodging my questions.""You're really a smart guy but I wish you would be more forthcoming. This isn't supposed to be a game. We're supposed to try to understand not how you're going to rule but how you're going to think," he said.When Menashi offered to answer a follow-up question, Kennedy noted that he was "out of time.""You took a lot of it by not answering my questions," he said.