Less than a week after being hired to head a high-profile research department at Georgetown Law School, the former head of a conservative D.C. think tank predicted that Joe Biden’s Supreme Court nominee will be a “lesser black woman.” Former Cato Institute director Ilya Shapiro, now executive director of Georgetown’s Center for the Constitution, wrote, “Objectively best pick for Biden is Sri Srinivasan, who is solid prog and v smart. Even has identity politics benefit of being first Asian (Indian) American. But alas doesn’t fit into last intersectionality hierarchy so we’ll get lesser black woman. Thank heaven for small favors?” In a second tweet, Shapiro added, “Because Biden said he’s only consider [sic] black women for SCOTUS, his nominee will always have an asterisk attached. Fitting that the Court takes up affirmative action next term.” He apologized the next day and deleted the tweets, calling them “inartful.” Georgetown Law School Dean William Treanor said in an email that tweets were “demeaning,” “appalling” and “at odds with everything we stand for at Georgetown Law.”
