After nearly a week of unexpected restraint, President Trump finally went after the woman who has accused his Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault. He speculated Friday on Twitter that if the attack “was as bad as she says” she or her parents would immediately have filed charges.
I have no doubt that, if the attack on Dr. Ford was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed with local Law Enforcement Authorities by either her or her loving parents. I ask that she bring those filings forward so that we can learn date, time, and place!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 21, 2018
Christine Blasey Ford says that Kavanaugh accosted her at a party when the two were attending neighboring Catholic high schools in the ‘80s, pinned her to a bed, groped her, and attempted to remove her clothes while holding his hand over her mouth to prevent her from screaming. Ford told the Washington Post earlier this week that she did not tell her parents, or anyone else, about the alleged assault in its immediate aftermath—she was afraid to tell them she had been at a party where there had been underage drinking. She first revealed specific details of the story to her husband and therapist in 2012.
Before Friday’s tweet, Trump had won praise for keeping his comments about Ford respectful, even while continuing to back his nominee to the hilt. At a press conference Tuesday, Trump said Kavanaugh was “not a man that deserves this,” and that “I feel terribly for him, for his wife, who is an incredibly, lovely woman, beautiful young daughters.” But he also called for Ford’s voice to be heard: “With all of that, I feel that the Republicans—and I can speak for myself—we should go through a process, because there shouldn’t be even a little doubt. There shouldn’t be a doubt.”
Meanwhile, Ford’s lawyers continue to tussle with Republican leadership on the Senate Judiciary Committee about when, if ever, she will appear before the committee to testify. Earlier this week, Ford requested in a letter that the hearing, originally scheduled for next Monday, be postponed until after the FBI had time to look into her claims. In a letter of his own, Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley declined to postpone, arguing that it was the responsibility of the committee, not the FBI, to investigate the allegation, and that hearing her testimony was a crucial step in that process that should not be delayed. On Thursday evening, Ford’s lawyers reiterated that she would not testify Monday, but said she “would be prepared to testify next week” if offered “terms that are fair and which ensure her safety.” At each step, committee Democrats have publicly echoed Ford’s call for a delayed hearing.
Grassley has yet to respond to the latest letter from Ford’s legal team.
