President Trump said Tuesday that Democrats are playing a “con game” on his Supreme Court nominee by advancing the claims of woman who say Brett Kavanaugh engaged in sexual misconduct in high school and college.
He also questioned the version of events detailed by Deborah Ramirez, a Yale classmate who says Judge Kavanaugh might have exposed himself to her at an alcohol-laced party — though she says she was not initially certain it was him.
“The second accuser has nothing,” Mr. Trump told reporters after his speech to the U.N. in New York.
It was the furthest Mr. Trump has gone in questioning the accusations against Judge Kavanaugh, and in decrying the motives of Democratic senators who, already long-opposed to Judge Kavanaugh, now say the unsubstantiated allegations should sink his nomination.
Mr. Trump questioned Democrats who have said they don’t believe Judge Kavanaugh, yet have also decried Republicans who said they don’t believe the accusers.
“They’re winking. They know it’s a con game,” Mr. Trump said.
His defense of Judge Kavanaugh comes two days before he and his first accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, are slated to testify — she to accuse him of an attempted sexual assault at a high school party, and he to vociferously deny the allegation.
Ms. Blasey Ford, who offered to testify, then spent last week attempting to set conditions, then finally agreed over the weekend to testify, is complaining about the latest plans.
In a letter Monday one of her lawyers said they were irked by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s speech Monday in which he said Judge Kavanaugh was facing a “smear campaign” and the accusations against him had not been backed up by corroborating evidence.
Michael R. Bromwich, the lawyer for Ms. Blasey Ford, also demanded more information on the way Thursday’s hearing will operate — and said he was troubled by the GOP majority’s plans to have a sex crimes prosecutor conduct questioning.
Ms. Blasey Ford has said she wants senators to be the ones asking her questions, and Mr. Bromwich said that was the appropriate path since the proceedings aren’t a criminal trial.
Meanwhile Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat, demanded Mr. McConnell apologize for his speech.
“It’s shameful — shameful — to doubt these women’s sincerity,” Mr. Schumer said. “Leader McConnell owes an apology to Dr. Ford for labeling her allegations a ’smear job.’ And he should apologize to her immediately.”
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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