President Trump said Saturday that the new FBI investigation of Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh could be a “blessing in disguise.”
Mr. Trump said the investigation of decades-old sexual assault allegations against Judge Kavanaugh could help his confirmation.
“Actually, this could be a blessing in disguise. Having the FBI go out and do a thorough investigation, whether its three days or seven days, I think its going to be less than a week,” the president told reporters at the White House. “It will be a good thing.”
He said the FBI could uncover shenanigans by Democrats in bringing the charges forward, inching whether Sen. Dianne Feinstein leaked the allegations to the news media.
“I think frankly the FBI has a chance to reveal a lot of different things. I’d like to find out who leaked the papers. Was it Sen. Feinstein? Certanly her body language was not exactly very good when they asked her that question,” Mr. Trump said. “I would like to find out as part of it who leaked the papers. Which Democrat leaked the papers?”
Mr. Trump requested the additional FBI probe into the allegations against Judge Kavanaugh after Sen. Jeff Flake, Arizona Republican, said his support on the confirmation floor vote would require it.
Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation was precarious after a hearing Thursday where California psychologist and university professor Christine Blasey Ford claimed that at an intoxicated Judge Kavanaugh groped her at a high school party when she was 15 and he was 17.
Judge Kavanaugh vehemently denied the charge in separate testimony Thursday.
Democrats demanded an additional FBI investigation of Ms. Blasey Ford’s allegations, as well allegations by two other women who claimed Judge Kavanaugh was involved in sexually inappropriate behavior in high school and college.
Mr. Trump said he did not think Judge Kavanaugh did anything wrong. The president said he did not have a backup plan to make another nomination.
“I think he’s great. I don’t think there’s ever been any person who’s been under scrutiny like he has,” Mr. Trump said. “I think it’s been a very tough process.”
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.
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