Protesters and lawyers alike flooded the committee room for the second day of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearings on Wednesday, all to watch as President Donald Trump's choice for the high court faced a grilling from U.S. senators on a smattering of hot-button issues.

As Kavanaugh fielded a volley of questions, from his views on abortion rights to presidential immunity, a who's-who crowd of Washington, D.C., attorneys filled rows of seats behind him. The sea of familiar faces—some vehemently opposing his nomination and others publicly backing him—underscored the high stakes and partisanship that's come with Kavanaugh's nomination.

Lawyers who've publicly backed Kavanaugh, including Carrie Severino of the Judicial Crisis Network and Ed Whelan, president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, both sat in the day's proceedings for the bulk of the day, tweeting their thoughts in real time.