With no press briefing in the last 11 days and Donald Trump’s uncharacteristic zipped lips, we haven’t heard the usual bashing of anyone who stands in the President’s path, only support for his Supreme Court nominee. You knew that couldn’t last long though. Last night in Las Vegas, Trump decided it was time to open the floodgates, defend Brett Kavanaugh and question why the accuser waited so long to come forward. He told a crowd of his supporters:
We’ll let it play out, and I think everything is going to be just fine. This is a high-quality person,”
At rally, President Trump stands by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh amid sexual assault allegation: “Brett Kavanaugh is one of the finest human beings you will ever have the privilege of knowing or meeting…this is a high quality person.” https://t.co/cZ0nAk0kg6 pic.twitter.com/yBu2MHglgG
— NBC News (@NBCNews) September 21, 2018
Fox “News” host Sean Hannity was on hand in Vegas and somehow snagged an interview with Trump who questioned why Christine Blasey Ford waited so long to tell her story.
TRUMP on KAVANAUGH allegations:
"Why didn't somebody call the FBI 36 years ago? I mean, you could also say, 'When did this all happen? What's going on?'" pic.twitter.com/17bqg2Q01x
— JM Rieger (@RiegerReport) September 21, 2018
This morning Trump continued this narrative on Twitter.
Judge Brett Kavanaugh is a fine man, with an impeccable reputation, who is under assault by radical left wing politicians who don’t want to know the answers, they just want to destroy and delay. Facts don’t matter. I go through this with them every single day in D.C.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 21, 2018
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
So far Trump, his associates, and GOP leaders have been unable to give any good reason as to why the FBI shouldn’t investigate Ford’s claim, including Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway, who danced around the question on CNN Thursday night, even threatening to walk away from the interview (watch the full interview above).
“I can leave and we can watch him get confirmed next week. Are you ready for that?”
Counselor to President Trump @KellyannePolls spars with @ChrisCuomo over lawmakers’ handling of the accusation against Judge Brett Kavanaugh https://t.co/VzlPVT0j1Y pic.twitter.com/mhPRcDosid
— Cuomo Prime Time (@CuomoPrimeTime) September 21, 2018
Between Trump and Conway, it’s clear the gloves are off. The White House is now all in to make sure Kavanaugh is confirmed.
The dam has broken. As we reported on Axios this morning: A source who has been talking to President Trump throughout the Kavanaugh crisis told Axios that “you have no idea” how hard it’s been to keep him from attacking his Supreme Court nominee’s accuser. https://t.co/ZaQOUzDbZv https://t.co/zf6iNKVrnh
— Jonathan Swan (@jonathanvswan) September 21, 2018
