On Tuesday morning, Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter Jaime was killed at Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High earlier this year, tried to shake the hand of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, only to be rebuffed. As Guttenberg tweeted:
Just walked up to Judge Kavanaugh as morning session ended. Put out my hand to introduce myself as Jaime Guttenberg's dad. He pulled his hand back, turned his back to me and walked away. I guess he did not want to deal with the reality of gun violence.
— Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) September 4, 2018
White House Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah contested Guttenberg’s account, claiming that security had escorted Guttenberg (who Shah characterizes as “an unidentified individual”) before Kavanaugh could respond with a handshake.
As Judge Kavanaugh left for his lunch break, an unidentified individual approached him. Before the Judge was able to shake his hand, security had intervened. https://t.co/ylOhtA1s6G
— Raj Shah (@RajShah45) September 4, 2018
Video of the event doesn’t support Shah’s account but rather shows that Guttenberg’s version was accurate. Guttenberg clearly identified himself to Kavanaugh and it is only after Kavanaugh gives Guttenberg the cold shoulder that security escorts Guttenberg away.
Fred Guttenberg, father of Parkland victim, Jaime, tries to shakes hands with Brett Kavanaugh: "My daughter was murdered at Parkland."
— NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt (@NBCNightlyNews) September 4, 2018
White House says an "unidentified individual approached" Kavanaugh, but "before the judge was able to shake his hand, security had intervened." pic.twitter.com/JIbTnQjpyE
Shah’s account is at the very least a mischaracterization of the incident and could quite possibly be a deliberate deception.