--- title: Jewish Ex-Trump Staffer Accused of Making White Power Symbol description: Zina Gelman Bash, a Jewish Mexican-American lawyer, became fodder for conspiracy theories on Twitter after claims she was making a white power symbol. canonical: https://time.com/5386860/zina-gelman-bash-white-power-symbol/ author: Mahita Gajanan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-09-05T01:26:07.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-13T07:53:08.558Z article:section: Politics og:title: A Kavanaugh Supporter Was Accused of Making a White Power Symbol. She's a Descendant of Holocaust Survivors og:description: Zina Gelman Bash is a Mexican-American descendant of Holocaust survivors og:url: https://time.com/5386860/zina-gelman-bash-white-power-symbol/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf367d772e639ee21/6989395a97cdfff9d96b6248/kavanaugh-hearings.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 6720 og:image:height: 3780 og:image:alt: Brett Kavanaugh og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: A Kavanaugh Supporter Was Accused of Making a White Power Symbol. She's a Descendant of Holocaust Survivors twitter:description: Zina Gelman Bash is a Mexican-American descendant of Holocaust survivors twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf367d772e639ee21/6989395a97cdfff9d96b6248/kavanaugh-hearings.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # A Kavanaugh Supporter Was Accused of Making a White Power Symbol. She's a Descendant of Holocaust Survivors > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. 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It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=20a2367c-38b8-431b-b291-82fbf4cb76fb&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Democrats Demand Postponement of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh Hearing [Watch (HLS stream): Democrats Demand Postponement of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh Hearing](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/XBjvkPlb.m3u8) (3:00)  _Published 2018-09-04. Democrats Demand Postponement of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh Hearing_ by [Mahita Gajanan](https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Sep 5, 2018 1:26 AM UTC by [Mahita Gajanan](https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Sep 5, 2018 1:26 AM UTC A former White House staffer was accused by some on Twitter of making a white supremacist symbol during [confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh](http://time.com/5386443/brett-kavanaugh-supreme-court-hearing-partisan-protest/) on Tuesday — causing her husband to publicly defend her and point out that she is Jewish, Mexican-American and the descendant of Holocaust survivors. The online furor about Zina Gelman Bash’s alleged hand symbol spread on Twitter Tuesday — despite attempts by supporters and journalists to point out her heritage. Bash, who previously clerked for Kavanaugh, was spotted sitting behind the Supreme Court nominee during the Senate hearing Tuesday making what appeared to be an “OK” sign with her hand, which some say is associated with [white power symbols](https://www.adl.org/blog/no-the-ok-gesture-is-not-a-hate-symbol). The [Anti-Defamation League](https://www.adl.org/blog/no-the-ok-gesture-is-not-a-hate-symbol) has said the “OK” hand gesture is not an actual symbol of white power. > [](https://twitter.com/rubin%5Fkd/status/1037033721235263488) > [](https://twitter.com/Amy%5FSiskind/status/1037055835728478213) The controversy led to Bash’s husband, U.S. Attorney John Bash, to take to Twitter to defend her. “Everyone tweeting this vicious conspiracy theory should be ashamed of themselves,” he wrote. > [](https://twitter.com/USAttyBash/status/1037091983532220416) > [](https://twitter.com/USAttyBash/status/1037093076638957568) > [](https://twitter.com/USAttyBash/status/1037094088615575555) > [](https://twitter.com/lachlan/status/1037062044732874753) Bash, who previously worked as Special Assistant to President Donald Trump on regulatory reform, legal and immigration policy, now serves as senior counsel to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. ## Transcript Mister Chairman. I'd like to be recognized to ask a question before we proceed. The committee received just last night, less than 15 hours ago, 42, 000 pages of documents that we have not had an opportunity to review or read or analyze. You are out of order I will proceed. Congresswoman We cannot possibly move forward mister chairman with this hearing. We have not been given the opportunity to have a meaningful hearing on this nominee. Chairman I extend a very warm welcome to judge Kavanaugh to his wife Ashley. Congressman Mister Chairman if we cannot be recognized I move to adjounre. Mister Chairman I move to adjourne. Chairman The American people need to hear directly from judge Kavanaugh [ APPLAUSE ] Mister chairman, I move to adjourn. [ APPLAUSE ] Mister chairman, we have been denied, we have been denied real access to the documents we need to advise and to send. Mister chairman, regular orders called. Which turns this hearing into a charade and mockery of our. Well- And Mister Chairman, I therefore move to adjourn this hearing. Okay. This is a mockery and a travesty of justice! This is an attack against justice and the lawful act! Cancel Brett Kavanaugh! Adjourn the hearing! [ INAUDIBLE ] Some assurance of confidentiality- [ INAUDIBLE ] A president could not expect to receive the full and frank submissons of facts and opinions upon which the effective discharge of his duties depends, end of quote. Mr. Chairman, I appeal to be recognized on your sense of decency and integrity Even the documents you have requested, Mr. Chairman, even the ones that you said, the limited documents you have requested, this committee has not received, and the documents, we have, you [ CROSSTALK ] should be transparent. This committee, sir, is a violation of even the values I've heard you talk about time and time again. The ideals that we should have, what is the rush? What are we trying to hide by not having the documents out front? What is the rush? What are we hiding by not letting those documents come out? Sir, this committee is a violation of the values that we as a committee have striven for; transparency. We are rushing through this process in a way that is unnecessary. And I appeal for the motion to at least be voted on. Mr. Chairman. At least let's have a vote because when we wrote you a letter on August 24, Senator. Asking to have a meeting on this issue, you denied us, Even the right to meet. So here we are, having a meeting, let's at least debate this issue, let's at least call this for a vote. Senator. I appeal to your sense of fairness and decency, your commitments that you've made to transparency. This violates what you have even said and called for sir. You've called for. Documents, you yourself, limited documents. We thought there should be more. We have not received the documents that you have even called for. So sir, based upon your own principles, your own values, I call for at least to have a debate or a vote on these issues, and not for us to rush through this process. [ APPLAUSE ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5386860/zina-gelman-bash-white-power-symbol/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5386860/zina-gelman-bash-white-power-symbol/"},"headline":"A Kavanaugh Supporter Was Accused of Making a White Power Symbol. 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