Locals React to Kavanaugh’s Description of Bethesda as ‘City Plagued By Gun Violence’

MoCo officials and others taunt Supreme Court nominee on Twitter over comments during nomination hearing

Brett Kavanaugh Wikimedia commons

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh described his hometown as a “city plagued by gun violence, gang violence and drug violence” Wednesday during the second day of his confirmation hearings on Capitol Hill. But it wasn’t clear whether the “urban-suburban” area that he described referred to Washington, D.C., or more specifically, his hometown suburb of Bethesda.

The reference drew swift reaction from Bethesda residents and others who grew up in the affluent community and chose to challenge Kavanaugh’s assertion, mostly in a light-hearted manner, on social media.

Kavanaugh was answering a question from Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) about why he voted against D.C.’s assault weapons ban in 2011, according to Fox 5. But because of Kavanaugh’s affluent background, including the fact that he graduated in 1983 from the elite Georgetown Preparatory School in North Bethesda (where Supreme Court justice Neil Gorsuch also attended), several Montgomery County officials and other area locals weighed in on Twitter with their reactions.

State Sen. Rich Madaleno (D-District 18), tweeted that he was in Kavanaugh’s same graduating class at Georgetown Prep, and that although Bethesda was not a city with a gun violence problem, he was worried about the judge’s stance on gun control.

Brett Kavanaugh & I attended high school together (Gtown Prep 1983.) He lived in Bethesda & I in Silver Spring. These were not cities plagued by gun violence. However, opening the door to automatic weapons will drive up gun violence substantially. The framers only had muskets. https://t.co/JF1NTqJl87 — Rich Madaleno (@RichMadaleno) September 5, 2018

Meanwhile, Montgomery County Council District 1 candidate Andrew Friedson joked that Georgetown Prep’s lacrosse rivalry with Landon School was worse than Bethesda’s gun violence issues.

As a resident of & candidate to represent where #Kavanaugh grew up, I can tell you with absolute certainty that it isn’t a place “plagued by gun violence.” That said, the Landon-Georgetown Prep lacrosse rivalry has been known to get pretty fierce. #SCOTUShttps://t.co/Gq08k4N7uC — Andrew Friedson (@amfriedson) September 6, 2018

Former National Public Radio CEO Vivian Schiller, who lives in Bethesda, pointed out that rather than gun violence, Bethesda is inundated with establishments that offer sweet treats.

I live in Bethesda and all I can say is WHAT?! The only thing Bethesda is plagued with is gourmet cupcakes and artisnal gelato. https://t.co/wOQ2EcRfS1 — Vivian Schiller (@vivian) September 5, 2018

Kyle Lierman, a Silver Spring resident and former Obama White House adviser tweeted that the only bullets being shot in Bethesda came from paint and nerf guns.

So I grew up in Bethesda and this one was a little confusing, Brett… You grew up in a city plagued by gun violence? Did you mean Nerf guns and paintball?https://t.co/mUspm0I6vP — Kyle Lierman (@Kyle_Lierman) September 6, 2018

And Washington Post senior regional correspondent Robert McCartney also joined in, tweeting that finding lawn care was the most difficult part of being a Bethesdan.

I grew up in Bethesda, too, and live there now. Kavanaugh knows perfectly well that biggest complaint was difficulty finding quality lawn care. https://t.co/RO54I0Kk4b — Robert McCartney (@McCartneyWP) September 6, 2018



Dan Schere can be reached at Daniel.schere@bethesdamagazine.com