Trump feels ‘so badly’ for Court nominee Kavanaugh
WASHINGTON — Trading accusations, Democratic and Republican senators quarreled Tuesday over who will testify at what promises to be a dramatic and emotional hearing next Monday with Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and the woman who says he sexually assaulted her when they were in high school. But doubts were raised whether she would appear.
Kavanaugh was at the White House for a second straight day, but again did not meet with President Donald Trump. The president said he was “totally supporting” Kavanaugh and rejected calls for the FBI to investigate the accusation.
“I don’t think the FBI really should be involved because they don’t want to be involved,” Trump said. As for Kavanaugh, he said, “I feel so badly for him that he’s going through this, to be honest with you . ... This is not a man that deserves this.”
Democrats are demanding that the FBI be given time to reopen its background investigation into Kavanaugh so it can check the assertions of Christine Blasey Ford, the woman accusing Kavanaugh of assault. They say the hearing should not move forward until that investigation is completed.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said an FBI investigation is “essential” to prevent the hearing from becoming merely a “he said, she said affair.”
Republicans responded that reopening the investigation is up to the White House and they are sticking with their plans for a Monday hearing — with or without Ford’s participation.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, RIowa, said on radio’s “Hugh Hewitt Show” that he’d not yet received confirmation from Ford that she would appear at the hearing, despite several attempts to reach her camp.
“So it kind of raises the question, do they want to come to the public hearing or not?” Grassley said.
Meanwhile, Mark Judge, a friend of Kavanaugh’s who Ford claims witnessed the assault, said Tuesday he does not wish to testify before the committee.
“I have no memory of this alleged incident . ... More to the point, I never saw Brett act in the manner Dr. Ford describes,” he said in a statement sent to the committee by his lawyer. “I have no more information to offer the committee and I do not wish to speak publicly regarding the incidents described in Dr. Ford’s letter.”
A day earlier, Republicans abruptly agreed to hold a public Judiciary Committee hearing at which Kavanaugh and Ford have been invited to testify.