Washington (CNN) If Chief Justice John Roberts watched Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearings he was likely shuddering.

He has been a critic of the politicization of the modern-day confirmation process.

"When you have a sharply political, divisive hearing process, it increases the danger that whoever comes out of it would be viewed in those terms," Roberts said in a February 2016 speech. "And that's just not how -- we don't work as Democrats or Republicans. I think it's a very unfortunate perception the public might get from the confirmation process."

Ten days after those comments, Justice Antonin Scalia suddenly died and Roberts did not substantively bring up the subject again. Merrick Garland was nominated by President Barack Obama and was refused a hearing. Neil Gorsuch was confirmed in 2017, Anthony Kennedy retired and Kavanaugh was nominated.

Kavanaugh's hearings have been largely about politics.

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