President Trump slammed Democrats on Wednesday for “grasping at straws” during Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings this week.
Speaking to reporters while Kavanaugh appeared for his first day of questioning before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Trump said his pick for the high court has shown “outstanding intellect” during a process that has been marked by protests by progressive activists on Capitol Hill.
“I’m happy with the Kavanaugh hearings,” the president said during an Oval Office meeting with Kuwait’s emir. “He’s an outstanding intellect, he’s an outstanding judge.”
Trump continued, “The other side is grasping at straws and really the other side should embrace him.”
Democrats on the committee speech much of Wednesday grilling Kavanaugh over his judicial philosophy and dissenting opinions on issues like gun control and abortion.
The appellate court judge’s two young daughters were escorted out of his first appearance in front of the Senate panel on Tuesday after protesters repeatedly interrupted the Supreme Court nominee — sometimes yelling obscenities before being escorted out by security personnel. Wednesday was no different, as his responses were repeatedly interrupted by several dozen activists inside the hearing room.
The high-profile confirmation hearings come at the same time the White House is battling the fallout from a forthcoming book by veteran journalist Bob Woodward, whom Trump accused of trying to distract Americans from Kavanaugh’s testimony.
“The book means nothing, it’s a work of fiction,” the president said Wednesday, noting that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and White House chief of staff John Kelly had key excerpts that leaked to the press a day earlier.
“It was put out to interfere, in my opinion, with the Kavanaugh hearings,” Trump claimed.
