Mazie Hirono snaps when reporter confronts her double standard on phrase 'sexual preference'

Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and other Democrats pounced on Amy Coney Barrett last week for using the phrase "sexual preference" during her Supreme Court confirmation hearing.

But Hirono seemingly gave Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden a pass for using the phrase when confronted by a reporter on Thursday.

What did Democrats say?

At the Senate hearing, Hirono scolded Barrett for uttering the phrase "sexual preference," calling the term "offensive and outdated." Hirono reasoned that "sexual orientation is a key part of a person's identity," and therefore not a choice.

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), a senior Senate Democrat, added, "Judge Barrett using this phrase is shameful and offensive—and it tells us exactly what we need to know about how she views the LGBTQIA+ community."

In response, Webster's Dictionary updated the definition of the word "preference" despite there being zero indication prior to Barrett's usage of the phrase that "sexual preference" was offensive. Webster's Dictionary actually claimed that using "sexual preference" is considered to be "widely" offensive.

As National Review reported, Democrats have a long history of using the phrase — just like everyone else. Biden even used it just a few months ago.

From National Review:

Joe Biden used the term "sexual preference" in May 2020, and the late Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg used it in 2017. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Dick Durbin — both Judiciary Committee members — have used the term in Senate floor speeches over the past decade.
...
The Huffington Post and The Atlantic have printed "sexual preference" instead of "sexual orientation" in the last six years. A gay-rights advocate used the term in a September 25, 2020, interview with the gay-rights magazine The Advocate. No one condemned or criticized any of the media outlets or Democratic politicians who used the term in the past decade.

What is Hirono saying now?

National Review reporter John McCormack confronted Hirono over Biden's recent usage of "sexual preference," asking whether she would hold the Democratic presidential nominee to the same standard that she used against Barrett.

McCormack asked, "Should Joe Biden apologize, too, like Amy Coney Barrett did?"

Hirono responded, "Joe Biden is not up for the Supreme Court."

"He's up for the presidency. So, he shouldn't apologize?" McCormack followed up.

"People will decide," Hirono shot back.

"You don't want to call on him to apologize?" McCormack asked again.

Hirono then snapped, "Oh, stop it. The world is in flames."