President Trump had said he would be paying close attention to the testimony of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, the woman accusing him of sexual assault decades ago. </s> WASHINGTON – While re-opening an FBI background check of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump on Friday praised the testimony of accuser Christine Blasey Ford and said senators should do “whatever they think is necessary" to get to a vote.

A day after an emotional hearing in which Ford testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee about her sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh, Trump told reporters at the White House he thought her testimony was "very compelling" and said "she looks like a very fine woman to me."

However, he continued to stand by Kavanaugh, saying his testimony "was really something that I haven't seen before" and "an incredible moment, I think, in the history of our country."

Asked if he had thought of replacing Kavanaugh, Trump said: "Not even a little bit."

"As the Senate has requested, this update must be limited in scope and completed in less than one week," Trump said in a statement.

Kavanaugh pledged to cooperate, saying in a statement issued by the White House: "Throughout this process, I’ve been interviewed by the FBI, I’ve done a number of 'background' calls directly with the Senate, and yesterday, I answered questions under oath about every topic the Senators and their counsel asked me. I’ve done everything they have requested and will continue to cooperate.”

Both Trump and Kavanaugh had resisted calls in recent days for a renewed FBI investigation.

Ford testified that Kavanaugh and a friend pulled her into a bedroom at a house party when they were teenagers. She said an inebriated Kavanaugh pinned her to the bed and tried to remove her clothes but she broke free and ran out of the room. Kavanaugh has vehemently denied the allegations.

The Senate Judiciary Committee has approved, along party lines, the nomination of Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court – with a request that the FBI conduct an investigation into sexual assault allegations before the full Senate takes a vote.

When speaking with reporters earlier on Friday, Trump was pressed on what he thought about a possible reopening of the FBI investigation. "Well, I'm going to let the Senate handle that. They'll make their decisions and they do a good job," he said.

It was a change in tone for Trump from Thursday night, when he described Kavanaugh's testimony as "powerful, honest, and riveting." Trump did not comment publicly on Ford's testimony in a Thursday tweet but denounced Democrats for what he called a "search and destroy strategy," and urged immediate Senate action.

On Friday, the president also said he had no message for senators who are undecided about whether or not to support Kavanaugh, saying they have to do what they think is right and they "have to be comfortable with themselves."

In his comments about Ford's testimony, Trump said, "certainly she was a very credible witness. She was very good in many respects."

Trump said he didn't know how things will play out, but he expressed optimism.

"I think it will work out very well for the country," Trump said. "I just want it to work out well for the country." </s> In a long, strange press conference in which he changed topics frequently, sometimes in the middle of sentences, President Trump repeated his “con job” characterizations of the accusations of sexual assault and other misconduct against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. What was more remarkable was his tendency to identify Kavanaugh’s accusers with the women who have accused him of sexual misconduct in the past. At the same time, however, he left the door open to withdrawing his nomination, depending on what happens at tomorrow’s Judiciary Committee hearing. Trump plans to watch the hearing, and has postponed his momentous meeting with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in order not to distract attention from the show.

Here’s CNN’s summary of the exchanges in which Trump made it clear he viewed the accusations against Kavanaugh through the lens of his own experiences:

President Trump, speaking at a press conference in New York, said allegations against Brett Kavanaugh “effect” him because he has had similar allegations many against himself “many times.” “People want fame. They want money. When I see it, I view it differently,” Trump said. “It’s happened to me many times. I’ve had many false charges.” “When you say does it effect me? Absolutely. Because I’ve had it many times,” Trump said regarding the allegations surrounding Kavanaugh. “I was accused by, I believe it was four women… who got paid a lot of money to make up stories about me,” Trump said as he continued to blast the media for repeating the allegations. In reality, at least 17 women have accused Trump of sexual assault. “I’ve had a lot of false charges against me,” Trump said.

Despite his interest in watching tomorrow’s hearing, Trump at other points indicated a closed mind about the allegations against Kavanaugh, calling them “all false,” and a fabrication by “evil” Democrats. Asked why he didn’t support an FBI investigation of the allegations, he replied: “There was nothing to investigate.” And then there was this strange tangent:

There were two particular moments where Trump seemed to be really out of touch with the way the Kavanaugh saga is playing out publicly. Asked about how women felt about his dismissal of the allegations against Kavanaugh, he claimed that “women are so angry” about how the judge was being treated, citing the narrow majority of women (actually, just white women) who voted for him in 2016. This on a day when fresh polling showed Kavanaugh and Trump himself losing ground rapidly with Republican women.

Similarly, at the very end of the press conference, Trump was given the opportunity to talk about the message his comments on Kavanaugh might send to young men–you know, young men who hear the president of the United States identifying with and defending someone accused of sexual assault even as the #MeToo movement unveils decades of predatory behavior. His response was remarkable:

Agreeing that this was a “historic moment,” Trump thought it was all about the damage wreaked on men whose accusers were believed without sufficient corroborating evidence. Watch out, boys! he seemed to be saying to teenagers: these lying women will say anything to bring you down.

Asked very directly if he ever gave women the benefit of the doubt in situations like Kavanaugh’s, Trump tossed out one of the most incoherent word salads since Andrew Johnson showed up drunk at his inauguration as vice president:

It’s hard to imagine the president did Brett Kavanaugh much good in this bizarre performance, aside from the angst involved in putting the judge on notice that he might dump him tomorrow if he doesn’t look good on television. </s> President Donald Trump claimed in a Wednesday evening press conference that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is facing “false accusations in some cases.”

The line came when Trump was asked if he believes that the three women who have come forward with sexual misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh are lying.

“I won’t get into that game,” Trump replied, before praising Kavanaugh and claiming that at least some of the accusations are false. </s> President Donald Trump says he's open to changing his mind on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh — if the evidence at Thursday's Senate committee hearing is compelling.

Trump says at a news conference in New York that he'll watch the testimony from Kavanaugh and a woman who's accusing Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct.

The president was asked about whether he might be persuaded to withdraw Kavanaugh's nomination. Trump said: "If I thought he was guilty of something like this ... yeah, sure."

Trump is calling Kavanaugh was "one of the highest quality people" he's ever met. The president insists the accusations are false and he's accusing Democrats of playing politics.

He also trumpeted his efforts to rewrite the nation's trade deals including news that the U.S. and Japan will open negotiations on a bilateral trade agreement.

And he's touting the deal he signed with South Korea earlier this week.

Trump is also repeating his claims that China is trying to meddle in the upcoming midterm elections because they oppose his tough trade policies.

He says, "they would like to see me lose an election because they've never been challenged like this."

Trump is addressing a roomful of hundreds of reporters from U.S. and international media organizations in a sweltering hotel ballroom. </s> DONALD TRUMP’S EMBATTLED Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has been hit by a second accusation of sexual misconduct, leaving Republicans scrambling to save a confirmation that until recently had seemed all but certain.

The latest claims of impropriety during Kavanaugh’s youth came as he was already facing a dramatic hearing where his testimony was to be weighed against that of a university professor who has separately accused him of assault.

Senate Democrats are now investigating a bombshell claim by Deborah Ramirez, 53, who says Kavanaugh exposed himself to her during a 1980s college party at Yale University, thrust his genitals in her face and caused her to touch them without her consent, according to The New Yorker.

Kavanaugh denied the story, calling it “a smear, plain and simple.”

“The people who knew me then know that this did not happen, and have said so,” the conservative judge said in a statement.

Like Christine Blasey Ford, the professor accusing him of assaulting her when they were teenagers, Ramirez wants the FBI to investigate the incident, and Democratic lawmakers are backing their demands.

Ford agreed to testify on Thursday after an increasingly ugly weeklong standoff that saw her forced to leave her California home as she faced death threats and the president openly attacked her credibility.

Kavanaugh, who strongly denies the allegation, said he wishes to testify as soon as possible to clear his name following Ford’s claims that he attacked her at a 1980s high school party.

According to The New York Times, the federal judge has calendars from the summer of 1982 he plans to share with senators showing he was out of town most of that time with no indication of the party of concern.

The two parties will testify separately — first Ford, followed by Kavanaugh’s response — the Senate Judiciary Committee confirmed.

On Sunday, Senator Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the judiciary committee, urged the panel to halt proceedings in light of the latest allegation.

“I am writing to request an immediate postponement of any further proceedings related to the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh,” she said in a statement.

“I also ask that the newest allegations of sexual misconduct be referred to the FBI for investigation, and that you join our request for the White House to direct the FBI to investigate the allegations of Christine Blasey Ford as well as these new claims.”

Separately, lawyer Michael Avenatti — who represents adult film star Stormy Daniels in the dispute over her claim she was paid to remain silent about an alleged tryst with Trump — shared an email exchange on Twitter in which he promised the committee evidence of further misconduct by Kavanaugh at 1980s house parties.

Avenatti also confirmed he was not representing Ramirez.

At stake is not only the fate of Trump’s hand-picked Supreme Court nominee, but also Republican chances in November’s midterm elections that face increased risk if the polarizing confirmation battle drags on.

White House spokesperson Kerri Kupec dismissed Ramirez’s allegation as “the latest in a coordinated smear campaign by the Democrats designed to tear down a good man.”

Meanwhile, Lindsey Graham — a member of the panel that must approve Kavanaugh’s nomination before it goes to the full chamber — summed up the position of many Republicans by saying he did not expect Ford’s testimony to change his mind.

“What am I supposed to do? Go ahead and ruin this guy’s life based on an accusation?” he told Fox News Sunday.

“Unless there’s something more, no, I’m not going to ruin Judge Kavanaugh’s life over this.”

According to a YouGov poll conducted for CBS, more than half of Americans want an FBI investigation before a vote on Kavanaugh, but more than two-thirds of Republicans want a vote within days.

Republicans, who hold a paper-thin majority in the Senate, can ill afford defections if Kavanaugh is to be approved.

“If one Republican senator should decide that Dr Ford’s allegations, assertions, are true, and that they are serious, it could make a big difference in the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh,” Democratic Senator Dick Durbin said on ABC’s “This Week.”

After days of relative restraint, Trump lashed out at Ford on Friday, and in doing so may already have hurt his nominee’s chances with a senator from his own party.

Trump contended that Ford’s decision to wait so late before going public shows the incident probably was not “as bad as she says” — even if this runs counter to what experts say is the typical reaction of sexual assault victims afraid or embarrassed to report.

But Susan Collins — a Republican who sits on the Judiciary Committee — said she was “appalled” by Trump’s tweet, stressing that incidents of sexual assault were known to be chronically under-reported.

Trump’s outburst saw an outpouring of sympathy for Ford — and outrage at the president — as thousands of women, and men too, shared why they had kept silent after being assaulted, under the Twitter hashtag #WhyIDidntReport. </s> WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump left the door open Friday to a reopening of the FBI investigation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, saying he wants Republican Senate leaders to do “whatever they think is necessary" to get to a decision on whether to confirm him.

A day after an emotional hearing in which Christine Blasey Ford testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee about her allegations against Kavanaugh of sexual assault, Trump told reporters at the White House he thought her testimony was "compelling" and said "she looks like a very fine woman to me."

However, he continued to stand by Kavanaugh. Asked if he had thought of replacing Kavanaugh, Trump said: "Not even a little bit."

Trump, when pressed on his views about a potential FBI investigation, said he would rely on what Senate Judiciary Committee Chuck Grassley and other Republican leaders wanted to.

"That’ll be a decision that they’re going to make," he said.

The Senate Judiciary Committee has approved, along party lines, the nomination of Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court – with a request that the FBI conduct an investigation into sexual assault allegations before the full Senate takes a vote. However, any FBI investigation would require Trump's approval. </s> As he faces a Senate Judiciary Committee vote on his nomination to the Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh picked up a major endorsement Friday morning as Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake said he would support Kavanaugh.

“Our system of justice affords a presumption of innocence to the accused, absent corroborating evidence,” Flake said in a statement Friday, Bloomberg reported.

On Thursday, Flake heard Christine Blasey Ford maintain that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her during a 1980s party when they were both in high school. He also heard Kavanaugh issue yet another forthright denial that any such incident took place.

Flake, who is retiring at the end of this Senate term, had been a strong advocate for having Ford testify before the committee.

“Yesterday, we heard compelling testimony from Dr. Ford, as well as a persuasive response from Judge Kavanaugh,” Flake said in a statement, according to CNBC.

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“I wish that I could express the confidence that some of my colleagues have conveyed about what either did or did not happen in the early 1980s, but I left the hearing yesterday with as much doubt as certainty,” he said.

Flake said the presumption of innocence “is what binds us to the rule of law.”

“While some may argue that a different standard should apply regarding the Senate’s advice and consent responsibilities, I believe that the constitution’s provisions of fairness and due process apply here as well,” he said.

“I will vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh,” the statement concluded.

Republicans hold a one-vote majority on the panel. No Democrat has voiced any support for Kavanaugh, who is President Donald Trump’s second Supreme Court nominee.

On Thursday after the hearing, Flake said that he had to “chase down a few things,” The Hill reported.

“It’s a tough one. She offered good testimony, and so did he,” Flake had said Thursday night, according to Fox News. “If you’re making an allegation, you want there to be some corroboration. Where is the burden? It’s like impeachment. You don’t know.”

Flake has said, however, that the time for talking and investigating was over.

“Where does this start, where does it end?” he asked. “More time, more ludicrous allegations. What does that do to the accused?”

Although Kavanaugh’s nomination is likely to make it to the Senate floor, passage there is not assured. Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine have each said they are keeping their options open.

“I am going to go home, have some dinner and have a chance to think about all that’s gone on,” Murkowski said after the hearing.

However, for some in the GOP, it is full speed ahead.

“I will be proud to vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh when the full Senate votes on his nomination in the coming days,” Kentucky Republican and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday night.

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards. </s> President Donald Trump called Michael Avenatti a “third rate lawyer who is good at making false accusations” after the attorney released an affidavit from a client who claims she witnessed Supreme Court nominee Bret Kavanaugh be “present” during “gang rapes” at parties in the early 1980s.

Avenatti’s client, identified as Julie Swetnick, further alleges she was the victim of one of these gang rapes during which Kavanaugh was on hand in 1982, when he was in high school.

Fox News reported that Kavanaugh responded to the latest allegation saying, “This is ridiculous and from ‘The Twilight Zone.’ I don’t know who this is and this never happened.”

Trump blasted Avenatti on Twitter, writing that he “is a third rate lawyer who is good at making false accusations, like he did on me and like he is now doing on Judge Brett Kavanaugh. He is just looking for attention and doesn’t want people to look at his past record and relationships — a total low-life!

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Swetnick’s accusation follows one by Christine Blasey Ford who claimed Kavanaugh held her down on a bed and groped and tried to take her clothes off during a high school party, which she believes likely occurred in the summer of 1982.

Additionally, another woman, Deborah Ramirez, says Kavanaugh exposed himself to her during a party at Yale University in the early 1980s, according to Fox News.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina shared Trump’s view that the latest allegation presented by Avenatti needs to be viewed with a high level of skepticism.

“I have a difficult time believing any person would continue to go to — according to the affidavit — 10 parties over a two-year period where women were routinely gang raped and not report it,” Graham tweeted.

Avenatt fired back via Twitter. “.@realDonaldTrump @ChuckGrassley @LindseyGrahamSC — Are you three privileged, white men calling my client Julie a liar? How dare you attack a sexual assault victim. She has risked her life to do the right thing. You should be ashamed of yourselves. Your actions are disgraceful.”

In another tweet, the attorney wrote Trump “pretends he is a tough guy,” but “he is nothing of the kind.”

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“That is why the majority of America & the UN laughs at him,” Avenatti added.

According to Fox News, Trump told reporters at the United Nations in New York he is hopeful all the late-breaking controversy and allegations regarding Kavanaugh will be over in a few days and that he will confirmed and become a “Supreme Court justice who will go down as one of our greatest ever.”

Currently, a Senate Judiciary Committee vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination is set for Friday, with a vote of the full Senate to follow early next week.

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
President Donald Trump says he believes Kavanaugh after seeing him testify on the sexual assault allegation, citing his remarks as "powerful, honest, and riveting."