Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, testifying versus the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, declined regularly Thursday to categorical an viewpoint on regardless of whether President Joe Biden is serving in the office legally.

The trade arrived as the Republican Marshall was questioned by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat from Rhode Island, about Marshall’s ties to a team that promoted the rally that transpired in Washington ahead of the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump.

“Is Joseph R. Biden of Delaware the duly elected and lawfully serving president of the United States of America?” Whitehouse asked.

“He is the president of this state,” replied Marshall, who was invited by the Judiciary Committee’s Republican minority and questioned in his testimony irrespective of whether Jackson stands up for criminal offense victims.

“Is he the duly elected and lawfully serving president of the United States?” Whitehouse pressed.

“He is the president of our place,” Marshall answered.

“Are you answering that omitting the language ‘duly elected and lawfully serving’ purposefully?” Whitehouse responded.

“I am answering the problem. He is president of the United States,” Marshall reported.

“And you have no see as to whether or not he was duly elected or is lawfully serving?” the senator requested.

“I am telling you he is the president of the United States,” Marshall replied.

Afterward, Whitehouse said, “I have no further questions.”

A spokesman for the point out legal professional general’s workplace didn’t quickly respond to an email in search of remark on the remarks by Marshall, who was amid a group of attorneys normal who joined in a 2020 lawful quick challenging voting benefits in 4 battleground states missing by Trump, who falsely claims the election was stolen.

Marshall is a previous county prosecutor who was initially appointed to the state’s prime authorized position in 2017, gained a full expression in 2018 and is looking for reelection this yr.

Marshall also is a member of the executive committee of the Republican Attorneys Typical Association, a department of which promoted the professional-Trump rally that preceded the Capitol riot. Beneath questioning from Whitehouse, Marshall denied that the group experienced just about anything to do with the violent attack and declined the senator’s invitation to address U.S. Capitol Police officers who were being hurt.

“We’ve denounced that violence just before and as I have finished with you listed here now,” Marshall stated.

Marshall beforehand mentioned team users with the GOP association designed unauthorized selections in advance of robocalls that went out promoting the rally.