President Trump said Tuesday that Democrats were intentionally playing politics with his Supreme Court nomination in waiting until the 11th hour to spring attempted sexual assault allegations on him.
“They knew what they were doing,” Mr. Trump said, casting Democrats’ strategy as part of the long-standing liberal goal of resisting the president’s agenda at every turn.
Mr. Trump, speaking at a press conference with the president of Poland, said he felt sorry for Judge Kavanaugh, his pick to fill the vacant seat on the high court, and for his wife and two daughters who are watching him face the accusations.
“I feel so badly for him that he’s going through this,” the president said.
He again said he won’t ask the FBI to conduct an investigation, pointing to the Justice Department’s statement that there’s no federal crime or national security implication, so it’s out of their purview.
Senate Democrats, though, say the FBI did probe sexual harassment claims in 1991 when they were lodged against Justice Clarence Thomas during his confirmation. The allegations of harassment had involved his previous job at a federal agency.
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Sen. Dianne Feinstein, top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, had a letter containing the attempted assault allegation by Christine Blasey Ford in July, but did not take concrete action until last week, after the lengthy confirmation hearings had already taken place.
Mr. Trump said that was unfair to the judge.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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