Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer declined Tuesday to back calls for an investigation into harassment allegations against President Trump, saying he didn’t want to weigh in right now.
He said he respected the rights of other Democrats to demand a probe, but said he wouldn’t delve into the matter at his press conference Tuesday.
“I’m not going to add anything today on that subject,” the New York Democrat said.
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also declined to back a probe, saying that while the Senate polices its own members, there wasn’t an obvious route to investigative the president.
“What we’re in charge of here is the Senate,” Mr. McConnell said. “That’s what we’re dealing with here.”
A number of women have come forward with allegations ranging from inappropriate ogling to groping and aggressive sexual advances by Mr. Trump in past decades.
Dozens of congressional Democrats have signed onto calls for Congress to launch a full-scale investigation.
The White House says Mr. Trump categorically denies the allegations, and said some of the accusers’ stories have been countered by eyewitnesses. The White House said the matter was litigated in last year’s election and voters spoke by electing Mr. Trump.
Mr. Trump himself weighed in on Twitter Tuesday morning, going after prominent Democratic critic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who is reportedly eyeing a challenge to Mr. Trump in the 2020 election.
Mr. Trump called her a “lightweight” and said she used to beg him for campaign contributions, saying she “would do anything for them.”
Mr. Schumer, while not weighing in on the calls for an investigation, did blast Mr. Trump for that tweet, calling it “nasty” and “unbecoming of a president.”
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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