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Trump demands Kavanaugh vote after lashing out at accuser Trump demands Kavanaugh vote after lashing out at accuser
(about 3 hours later)
Donald Trump cast doubt on the woman who accused his supreme court pick Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, and on Friday blamed opponents for trying to “destroy” his nominee, while chivvying for a vote. Donald Trump has cast doubt on the woman who accused his supreme court pick Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, and blamed opponents for trying to “destroy” his nominee.
It emerged on Friday afternoon that Senate Republicans are likely to propose moving a committee hearing onthe allegations to Wednesday, CNN reported, citing two sources familiar with the negotiations. Trump commented as it emerged on Friday that Senate Republicans are likely to propose moving a judiciary committee hearing on the allegations to Wednesday, CNN reported, citing two sources familiar with the negotiations.
The sources also suggested that California professor Christine Blasey Ford would testify first, then Kavanaugh, and that Republicans are not willing to subpoena any outside witnesses, as Ford requested, CNN reported. She had also reportedly requested to testify second. Lawyers for Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her at a party when they were teenagers, had reportedly requested the hearing take place on Thursday. Kavanaugh, who categorically denies the allegations, said he “looks forward” to testifying as soon as possible.
After days of restrained comments about the allegations from the California professor Christine Blasey Ford, Trump tweeted on Friday, questioning her account of what happened between her and Kavanaugh at a party in 1982 when they were in high school and she was 15, he 17. Kavanaugh denies the allegations. The sources also suggested that Ford would testify first and that Republicans are not willing to subpoena any outside witnesses, as Ford requested, CNN reported. Ford had reportedly requested to testify second.
“I have no doubt that, if the attack on Dr. Ford was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed with local Law Enforcement Authorities by either her or her loving parents,” Trump said. “I ask that she bring those filings forward so that we can learn date, time, and place! Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the committee, called the Republican counter-offer “mean-spirited” and said it “candidly shows no sympathy or empathy whatsoever”.
Trump said he believes Kavanaugh is “under assault by radical leftwing politicians”. In the tweets on Friday morning, he said that Kavanaugh has an “impeccable reputation” and that Democrats “don’t want to know the answers, they just want to destroy and delay”. It was unclear who would conduct the questioning. Chuck Grassley, the committee chair, told a radio station this week his committee would consider hiring a special counsel to question Ford, to avoid a scenario in which 11 Republican men questioned a woman alleging sexual assault.
A Senate panel vote on Kavanaugh’s confirmation, scheduled for Thursday, was delayed after Ford’s allegations came out last week. “Republicans should show a little compassion, not to mention consideration that [Ford will] need to prepare for the hearing,” Feinstein said. “Republican senators want to turn over their duty to ask questions to outside counsel, but Dr Ford can’t do that. Just because Republicans don’t need to prepare doesn’t mean Dr Ford should be rushed.”
Ford told a Senate committee she would be willing to testify later next week as a Friday morning deadline set by the Republican-led Senate judiciary committee for her to confirm whether she would testify on Monday came and went. The panel had scheduled a hearing for 10amon Monday, which is now in the balance. The Rhode Island Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse, a member of the judiciary committee, stressed that senators should be the ones asking questions.
The president further weighed in late on Friday morning with another tweet demanding: “Let her testify, or not, and TAKE THE VOTE!” “I will not forfeit my ability to question Judge Kavanaugh and anyone else who comes before the committee with testimony, no matter how uncomfortable it may make the 11 men across the dais,” he said.
The full tweet again criticized the committee Democrat Dianne Feinstein for not revealing the letter she received with Ford’s allegations sooner. Negotiations went on behind closed doors as Trump incited a backlash on Twitter and among his own party with a string of tweets that questioned Ford’s account of what happened between her and Kavanaugh at a party in 1982, when she was 15 and Kavanaugh 17.
Senator Feinstein and the Democrats held the letter for months, only to release it with a bang after the hearings were OVER - done very purposefully to Obstruct & Resist & Delay. Let her testify, or not, and TAKE THE VOTE! “I have no doubt that, if the attack on Dr Ford was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed with local Law Enforcement Authorities by either her or her loving parents,” Trump said. “I ask that she bring those filings forward so that we can learn date, time, and place!”
Within minutes, women, including leading feminist writers, began tweeting alongside the hashtag #WhyIDidn’tReport, which began trending, about bad experiences when reporting sexual violence to the authorities, especially as teens. Trump said he believed Kavanaugh to be “under assault by radical leftwing politicians”. Kavanaugh has an “impeccable reputation”, he said, and Democrats “don’t want to know the answers, they just want to destroy and delay”.
Jessica Valenti tweeted: “The only time I ever went to the police was after a man tried to pull me into his car when I was 19. The beat cops were annoyed that I didn’t know the make of the vehicle, or if it had two doors or four.” She added that she had been terrified the police would not believe her. The Maine Republican senator Susan Collins, seen as a key vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination, said she was “appalled”.
Another woman wrote: “I was drunk, he was a varsity athlete. I couldn’t ‘prove’ anything.” “We know that allegations of sexual assault – I’m not saying that’s what happened in this case – but we know allegations of sexual assault are one of the most unreported crimes that exist,” she said. “So I thought that the president’s tweet was completely inappropriate and wrong.”
Many police departments and courts do not have a good record on dealing with sexual assault victims, despite more of them speaking out in recent years. Late on Friday Trump posted another tweet: “Let her testify, or not, and TAKE THE VOTE!”
Ford is asking for the hearing on Capitol Hill in which she will testify against Kavanaugh be moved to next Thursday. The GOP later appeared to be offering Wednesday. The full tweet again criticized Feinstein for not sooner revealing a letter she received, containing Ford’s allegations.
Meanwhile, it was reported that Ford will meet with the FBI on Friday afternoon as part of its investigation of death threats she has received since agreeing to come forward with her allegations. Within minutes, women, including leading feminist writers, began tweeting alongside the hashtag #WhyIDidn’tReport about bad experiences when reporting sexual violence to the authorities, especially as teens.
The California professor is willing to come to Washington to give her account and be questioned by senators, but doesn’t want Kavanaugh in the same room, her attorney told judiciary committee staff in a 30-minute phone call later on Thursday. The conversation also touched on security concerns and others issues, according to a Senate aide who spoke to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because public discussion of the matter was unauthorized. Ford is willing to come to Washington to be questioned by senators but does not want Kavanaugh in the same room, her attorney told judiciary committee staff in a 30-minute phone call late on Thursday. The conversation also touched on security concerns and other issues, according to a Senate aide who spoke to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.
Ford is willing to give her account to the Republican-majority judiciary committee, whose senators need to vote on Kavanaugh’s confirmation before it goes to a full Senate vote. The Republican-majority committee must approve the nomination for it to proceed to the full Senate. Ford will only appear if agreement can be reached on “terms that are fair and which ensure her safety”, the attorney, Debra Katz, said in an email to the committee revealed on Thursday.
But she will only appear if agreement can be reached on “terms that are fair and which ensure her safety”, the attorney, Debra Katz, said in an email to the committee revealed earlier on Thursday. It was reported that Ford would meet with the FBI on Friday afternoon as part of its investigation of death threats she has received since agreeing to come forward.
On Thursday night, Donald Trump, who had been uncharacteristically restrained in his comments on the crisis, challenged Ford’s story, during an interview with Fox News while at a rally in Las Vegas. On Thursday night, Trump challenged Ford’s story during an interview with Fox News at a rally in Las Vegas.
“I think it’s a very sad situation,” said Trump, asking: “Why didn’t somebody call the FBI 36 years ago? … What’s going on?”“I think it’s a very sad situation,” said Trump, asking: “Why didn’t somebody call the FBI 36 years ago? … What’s going on?”
While he said Ford should “have her say”, he made clear he was done waiting: “I don’t think you can delay it any longer. They’ve delayed it a week already.”While he said Ford should “have her say”, he made clear he was done waiting: “I don’t think you can delay it any longer. They’ve delayed it a week already.”
Kavanaugh, 53, currently a judge on the powerful US court of appeals for the DC circuit, has repeatedly denied her allegation.
It also emerged this week that a prominent Yale law professor told students it was “not an accident” that Kavanaugh’s female law clerks all “looked like models” and would provide advice to them about their physical appearance if they wanted to work for him.
Taylor Foy, the spokesman for Republicans on the panel, said after the Thursday phone call that Grassley “will consult with his colleagues on the committee. He remains committed to providing a fair forum for both Dr Ford and Judge Kavanaugh.”
Brett KavanaughBrett Kavanaugh
US supreme courtUS supreme court
Sexual harassmentSexual harassment
Law (US)Law (US)
US SenateUS Senate
Donald TrumpDonald Trump
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