Jordan Peterson says that Brett Kavanaugh should step down — but not for the reason you might think

Psychology professor and best-selling author Jordan Peterson said that Judge Brett Kavanaugh should have stepped down from the Supreme Court when confirmed, according to tweets Peterson sent over the weekend.

What are the details?

Peterson's tweet came on Friday, prior to Kavanaugh being confirmed to the Supreme Court.

In response to a tweet by former Evergreen State College professor Bret Weinstein who called Kavanaugh an "entitled punk," Peterson wrote, "If confirmed, Kavanaugh should step down."

Weinstein had written, "My position on the #Kavanaugh confirmation: Both outcomes are completely unacceptable. Kavanaugh was clearly, at the very least, an entitled punk through college. Nothing suggests a radical shift in mindset. He appears to be the kind of adult that entitled punk grow into."

Weinstein's lengthy tweet added, "Putting someone on the court who is likely to view the world through those narrow eyes is a betrayal of the most elemental American values. All the worse that the nomination came from another entitled punk. It's a divisive finger-in-the-eye-for-life to patriots of all stripes."

If confirmed Kavanaugh should step down. https://t.co/UwsH52ts3b

— Jordan B Peterson (@jordanbpeterson) October 5, 2018

What about the backlash?

Naturally, Peterson received a lot of attention for his tweet.

Hours after Peterson sent his initial tweet about Kavanaugh stepping down from the Supreme Court, he expounded on his reason for saying so.

In a second tweet, Peterson wrote, "I'm not certain that is the right move. It's very complex. But he would have his name cleared, and a figure who might be less divisive might be put forward."

He later added, "That might decrease residual alienation from the left, and make things less polarized moving forward. Of course, that has to be balanced against handing any victory to the 'believe all accusers' crowd."

"I was thinking all this whole trying to plot out a strategy that would be least damaging, on the whole," Peterson continued, and noted that he's not insisting that his way of looking at the situation is the correct way.

"And I'm not jumping up and down claiming to be correct. Thought is experiment, not reality," he said.

"I believed if confirmed then Kavanaugh would be vindicated and could preserve his reputation (I understand the damage that has been done to him. perhaps better than most) but by withdrawing he could effectively deprive his more radical opponents of their [self-righteous] moralism," Peterson explained.

"As I said," he concluded, "this could be wrong."

I'm not certain that is the right move. It's very complex. But he would have his name cleared, and a figure who might be less divisive might be put forward. https://t.co/oNQB2bRsC7

— Jordan B Peterson (@jordanbpeterson) October 6, 2018

That might decrease residual alienation from the left, and make things less polarized moving forward. Of course, that has to be balanced against handing any victory to the "believe all accusers" crowd. https://t.co/xcVBcoaWWv

— Jordan B Peterson (@jordanbpeterson) October 6, 2018

I was thinking all this whole trying to plot out a strategy that would be least damaging, on the whole. And I'm not jumping up and down claiming to be correct. Thought is experiment, not reality. https://t.co/1A6roINK5o

— Jordan B Peterson (@jordanbpeterson) October 6, 2018

I believed if confirmed then Kavanaugh would be vindicated and could preserve his reputation (I understand the damage that has been done to him. perhaps better than most) but by withdrawing he could effectively deprive his more radical opponents of their selfrighteous moralism. https://t.co/dbA5D3LhuW

— Jordan B Peterson (@jordanbpeterson) October 6, 2018

As I said, this could be wrong. https://t.co/2HGW6RqECu

— Jordan B Peterson (@jordanbpeterson) October 6, 2018