Donald Trump: Dems’ handling of Kavanaugh accuser is ‘obstruction’

President Trump blamed Democrats Tuesday for “obstruction” of his Supreme Court nominee but said all sides should have a chance to have their say now that allegations have been raised about Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh.

Mr. Trump told reporters he hasn’t spoken to Judge Kavanaugh since allegations of an attempted sexual assault were belatedly raised by Democrats last week, months after they first learned of them.

But the president said he remains firmly behind his pick.

“He can handle himself better than anybody, he’s a very outstanding man,” he said. “I’m very supportive. Few people that I’ve ever seen have been so outstanding as Judge Kavanaugh.”

The president said that he wouldn’t mind an FBI investigation of the allegations if the agency wanted to do it, but the Justice Department has said since no national security matter or federal crime is involved they don’t see a role.

For that matter Judge Kavanaugh’s accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, had not reported a crime to local authorities in Montgomery County, police said Monday.

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Instead, her allegation is playing out in public, with senators now pushing toward a showdown hearing Monday in which Judge Kavanaugh and Ms. Ford, a college professor who has alleged the incident from the early 1980s, will be the only witnesses.

The hearing has upended GOP senators’ push to have the judge on the Supreme Court before the start of the new court session Oct. 1.

Mr. Trump said he was willing to stomach some delay, but said he wants it finished “as quickly as possible.”

“It’s frankly a terrible thing that this information wasn’t given to us a long time ago, months ago when they got it, they could have done that instead of waiting till everything was finished and then scream,” he said. “But that’s what the Democrats do, it’s an obstruction, it’s resistance, it’s whatever you have to do.”