Sen. John Kennedy John Neely KennedyMORE (R-La.) defended his line of questioning to one of President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE’s judicial nominees, saying he asks “questions that I expect them to be able to answer.”

A video of the Republican senator questioning judicial nominee Matthew Petersen on basic legal terms — and Petersen failing to answer — went viral Thursday.

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“I enthusiastically supported President Trump for president, and I still do. In the past year, I have supported nearly every one of President Trump’s picks, but I don’t blindly support them,” Kennedy told Yahoo News.

“I ask questions that I expect them to be able to answer. In doing so, I’m just doing my job,” he said.

“That’s why we have a Madisonian-inspired separation of powers. We need checks and balances so that we can serve the American people well.”

Kennedy posed a series of questions on legal issues to Petersen during his Senate hearing to be confirmed as a district judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

He asked the nominee about topics like “motion in limine,” a basic legal term, and the Younger and Pullman abstention doctrines. Petersen was unable to answer the questions.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse Sheldon WhitehouseFeinstein 'surprised and taken aback' by suggestion she's not up for Supreme Court fight Hillicon Valley: Murky TikTok deal raises questions about China's role | Twitter investigating automated image previews over apparent algorithmic bias | House approves bill making hacking federal voting systems a crime House approves legislation making hacking voting systems a federal crime MORE (D-R.I.) posted video of the exchange on Thursday night.