Trump Says Brett Kavanaugh ‘Does Not Deserve This’

Ford’s lawyers said on Tuesday she would not appear before the Senate until after the FBI investigates the allegations. “If we don’t hear from both sides on Monday, let’s vote”.

Ford is open to testifying to lawmakers, but not before the FBI investigates the matter, one of her lawyers, Lisa Banks, said Tuesday night.

“I hope that each and every one of us will immediately denounce the horrific treatment of Dr. Blasey Ford”.

In an interview with CBS on Tuesday morning, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) asserted that Kavanaugh and Ford’s lawyers should be at their testimony next week, but women’s advocacy groups quickly criticized the idea, saying it would make the testimony look more like a criminal trial – and leaving it to Ford to prove her story beyond a reasonable doubt.

Republicans are rejecting Ford’s call for an FBI investigation, putting the onus back on her to decide whether she’ll testify anyway.

“But I can only say this: he’s such an outstanding man – very hard for me to imagine that anything happened”, Trump said. She said she managed to escape once Kavanaugh’s friend, identified as Mark Judge, jumped on top of them.

But he said the accusation that surfaced at the tail end of the Supreme Court confirmation process was “hurting somebody’s life”.

Kavanaugh’s supporters on the committee will want to vigorously defend him.

However, Senator Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Republican-dominated judiciary committee, said Tuesday that Ford’s presence was not confirmed.

Ford has alleged that Kavanaugh pinned her down on the bed in an upstairs room while they were both attending a party in Chevy Chase, Maryland. The only thing that would delay this until after the elections is if Kavanaugh’s nomination became untenable due to that fuller investigation, forcing Trump to nominate a replacement.

Kavanaugh has categorically denied the allegations of sex assault, which stem from when he and Ford were in high school. Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley responded that there’s no need for an FBI investigation and that the invitation for Ms Ford to testify on Monday still stands.

“We should honour Dr Blasey Ford’s wishes and delay this hearing”, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said in a statement to AP.

She also described the rampant drinking and general debauchery that took place among her classmates and students at Kavanaugh’s elite all-boys prep school. What about individuals who were previously told about this incident? “If Kavanaugh truly has the integrity mentioned by those who support him, then he should be just as courageous as Christine and stop trying to dodge the accusations, admit his actions from so long ago, speak from the heart, and apologize”.

“This is another attempt by Republicans to rush this nomination and not fully vet Judge Kavanaugh”.

Anita Hill says the Senate Judiciary Committee could be holding a “sham” hearing next week without an FBI investigation of a woman’s sexual-assault accusation against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

President Donald Trump has upped his defence of Kavanaugh and expressed sympathy toward his nominee, who met with officials at the White House for a second straight day though not with the President.

“I have serious reservations regarding the questionable timing and handling of this last-minute allegation”, Hyde-Smith said in a statement. “The FBI’s role in such matters is to provide information for the use of the decision makers”.

“We would welcome the opportunity to talk with you and Ranking Member Feinstein to discuss reasonable steps as to how Dr. Ford can cooperate while also taking care of her own health and security”, the letter from Ford’s lawyers said. As you say, this is not really their thing. They’re doing a very good job. In their letter to Wray and McGahn, they ask the Federal Bureau of Investigation to interview Kavanaugh, Ford and other relevant witnesses. However, he also said that he reached out to Ford “three or four times” and had not received a response.